Clint Eastwood to direct biopic on miracle pilot ‘Sully’ Sullenberger

Henry Hanks
By Henry Hanks, CNN
Updated 9:57 AM EDT, Wed June 3, 2015
Janis Krums' <a href="http://twitpic.com/135xa" target="_blank" target="_blank">Twitter photo</a> was one of the first images to appear after U.S. Airways flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009.
Janis Krums' Twitter photo was one of the first images to appear after U.S. Airways flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009.
Janis Krums
CNN also received hundreds of images from the "Miracle on the Hudson" that day. "I was stuck in traffic sitting still, and a plane came out of nowhere -- didn't look like it was in distress or anything," said <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-182031">Lou Fromansky</a> in 2009. "I thought it was another terrorist attack -- thinking it might fly into a building."
CNN also received hundreds of images from the "Miracle on the Hudson" that day. "I was stuck in traffic sitting still, and a plane came out of nowhere -- didn't look like it was in distress or anything," said Lou Fromansky in 2009. "I thought it was another terrorist attack -- thinking it might fly into a building."
Courtesy Lou Fromansky
<a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-183399">Eric Stevenson</a> was a passenger on flight 1549, seated over the wing in 12F. He took this photo just after boarding the rescue boat.
Eric Stevenson was a passenger on flight 1549, seated over the wing in 12F. He took this photo just after boarding the rescue boat.
Courtesy Eric Stevenson
"The passengers owe our lives to the remarkable work of the pilot and co-pilot," Stevenson said.
"The passengers owe our lives to the remarkable work of the pilot and co-pilot," Stevenson said.
Courtesy Eric Stevenson
Karen Seiger raced to the rooftop of her building and <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-181956">saw the downed plane float by</a>. Seiger was amazed at how quickly rescue crews arrived. "Lots of heroes out there on this very cold day in New York City!" she said.
Karen Seiger raced to the rooftop of her building and saw the downed plane float by. Seiger was amazed at how quickly rescue crews arrived. "Lots of heroes out there on this very cold day in New York City!" she said.
Courtesy Karen Seiger
Traffic stands still to make room for emergency responders rushing to the scene. Seiger said traffic was stopped at 14th Street, right outside her home.
Traffic stands still to make room for emergency responders rushing to the scene. Seiger said traffic was stopped at 14th Street, right outside her home.
Courtesy Karen Seiger
Jim Davidson of Hoboken, New Jersey, said the scene looked "pretty well organized" from what <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-182001">he could see</a> across the river. He said ferry and tourist boats pulled up to the downed plane.
Jim Davidson of Hoboken, New Jersey, said the scene looked "pretty well organized" from what he could see across the river. He said ferry and tourist boats pulled up to the downed plane.
Courtesy Jim Davidson
Davidson was impressed that "it wasn't chaos," he said. "A lot of times when things like this happen, people are running around or yelling.
Davidson was impressed that "it wasn't chaos," he said. "A lot of times when things like this happen, people are running around or yelling.
Courtesy Jim Davidson
<a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-181889">Stephen DeLuca</a> saw the downed plane from the rooftop of the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. The computer science student was doing homework when the plane crashed.
Stephen DeLuca saw the downed plane from the rooftop of the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. The computer science student was doing homework when the plane crashed.
Courtesy Stephen DeLuca
Here the plane started to sink a little in the waters of the Hudson River, says DeLuca.
Here the plane started to sink a little in the waters of the Hudson River, says DeLuca.
Courtesy Stephen DeLuca
Julie Pukelis and her co-workers <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-181955">crowded around a telescope</a> in a 46th-floor office in Manhattan and watched the plane drift slowly down to the water.
Julie Pukelis and her co-workers crowded around a telescope in a 46th-floor office in Manhattan and watched the plane drift slowly down to the water.
Courtesy Julie Pukelis
Eyewitness views of the Hudson landing

Story highlights

In 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger landed an unpowered US Airways flight safely into the Hudson River with no fatalities

The movie promises to capture the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the dramatic event

CNN  — 

It didn’t take long after the “Miracle on the Hudson” in 2009 for people to wonder about a movie.

Now we have an answer, and Clint Eastwood is directing it.

Airplane crash-lands into Hudson River; all aboard reported safe

The life story of Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger will be brought to the screen, Warner Bros. Pictures announced Tuesday. (Warner Bros. Pictures and CNN are both Time Warner properties.)

2009 us airways hudson river crash wrap carroll pkg_00000530.jpg
2009 us airways hudson river crash wrap carroll pkg_00000530.jpg
Getty Images
video

2009: Passengers praise 'Miracle on the Hudson' pilot

The film will be adapted from “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters,” by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow.

The movie promises to capture the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding Sullenberger’s landing of the US Airways plane unpowered in the Hudson River after multiple bird strikes. All 155 people aboard the flight survived.

Sullenberger on importance of leadership
03:50 - Source: CNN

“I am very glad my story is in the hands of gifted storyteller and filmmaker Clint Eastwood, and veteran producers Allyn Stewart and Frank Marshall,” Sullenberger said in a news release.

Was it really a ‘Miracle on the Hudson’?

“The project could not have found a better home than Warner Bros. Pictures. This is truly a dream team.”

The release date is unknown thus far.

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