A year and a half after the awesomely named Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger saved the lives of his passengers on Flight 1549, landing them safely in the Hudson River after an errand flock of birds flew into the plane’s engines, those desperate moments are finally going to come to the big screen.
The Kennedy/Marshall Co. and Flashlight Films have optioned Sullenberg’s memoir “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters” with plans to turn it into a movie. We can’t wait to find out how it ends.The producers are currently seeking backing for the film and it’s not aligned with a studio yet, though it is going out to writers. No offense to Sullenberger, who certainly did act heroically that day, but we have no desire to watch a movie about this. This is a project we might expect, at best, on Lifetime, not from a major Hollywood studio.
But, audiences show great affection for big-hearted movies, particularly those with a story they’re already familiar with, and they usually reward them with steady box office receipts. So, any ideas on who should play Capt. Sully? We’re voting for Christopher Walken. Just to spice things up. [Variety]