Clint Eastwood to pilot Capt. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger biopic

Clint Eastwood’s next movie has been cleared for takeoff.

The “American Sniper” filmmaker is set to direct Warner Bros’. to-be-titled biopic about Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III, the veteran pilot who safely landed a disabled jetliner on the Hudson River in 2009, the studio announced Tuesday.

Eastwood will work from a script by Todd Komarnicki, based on the book “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters,” by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow.

The film will recount how Sullenberger, a former Air Force fighter pilot, successfully set US Airways Flight 1549 and its 155 passengers down onto the icy, 65-foot-deep waters by Manhattan with no casualties. The feat was hailed as “a miracle on the Hudson.” Per the studio announcement, the film also promises to explore behind-the-scenes drama that could have cost Sullenberger his reputation and his wings.

The Sullenberger movie will be Eastwood’s second drama in a row based on a person hailed as a contemporary American hero, after “American Sniper” told the story of the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.

Released in December, “Sniper” was a huge commercial success, grossing $543 million at the worldwide box office. Domestically, it became the highest-grossing film released in 2014.

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