The brave tale of an American captain’s escape from Somali pirates moved closer to hitting the big screen.
Columbia Pictures hired Billy Ray – whose writing credits include “State of Play,” “Flightplan” and “Breach – to pen the epic true-life story, Variety reported Thursday.
The untitled film centers around Capt. Richard Phillips, who was held hostage by four Somali pirates and subsequently rescued by Navy SEALs this year.
The studio also optioned the film rights to Phillips’ upcoming memoir, “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs and Five Dangerous Days,” which will be published in April by Hyperion, Variety reported.
Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey is among the producers on the project, but who will play the rugged captain has yet to be decided.
Ray, who also directed “Breach,” is currently writing “Gears of War” for New Line and “Motorcade” for DreamWorks, Variety said.
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