Warner Bros. has announced that Clint Eastwood will be directing a new biopic about the heroic pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. The studio announced on Tuesday (June 2nd) that Eastwood will direct and produce the as-yet-untitled drama for his next project, according to Variety.

The movie’s screenplay will be adapted from Sullenberger’s own 2009 memoir, ‘Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters’, which recounted the pilot’s personal life before his legendary actions of January 2009 when he safely landed a US Airways aeroplane in the Hudson River in New York after it was disabled shortly after take-off after a flock of geese flew up into its engines.

Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood will direct the 'Sully' Sullenberger biopic

“Sully” became an instant American national hero as a result of his actions, and has on a number of occasions been courted by the main political parties in the country for endorsement and even to run for public office, though he has refused to affiliate himself in any way. He said in a statement on Tuesday in reaction to the news: “I am very glad my story is in the hands of gifted storyteller and filmmaker Clint Eastwood.”

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Greg Silverman, WB’s president of worldwide production, also reacted with a statement that said: “Simply put, Clint Eastwood is at the top of his game, not to mention a global treasure. On the heels of his extraordinary work in American Sniper, it is tremendously exciting to see him explore another captivating true-life hero.”

The news comes off the back of Eastwood’s most popular box-office success of his directing career, American Sniper. Starring Bradley Cooper as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, it made $543.4 million globally for Warner Bros. and was the biggest domestic release of 2014.

As a director, 85 year old Eastwood has long taken an interest in real-life stories. As well as the aforementioned American Sniper, he’s also helmed J. Edgar (2011) and Changeling (2008).

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