Clint Eastwood to direct film about hero pilot 'Sully'

Now retired, Captain Sullenberger is widely regarded as a hero in the US

Clint Eastwood is to direct a film about Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger, the pilot who famously crash-landed a plane in New York's Hudson River in 2009.

All 155 people on board the US Airways flight survived, with the incident dubbed the "Miracle on the Hudson".

Warner Bros. confirmed Eastwood would direct and produce the drama, which will be based on Captain Sullenberger's own memoir.

Eastwood's last film American Sniper was his biggest box-office hit to date.

The film, starring Bradley Cooper as Navy Seal Chris Kyle, took $543.4m (£353.8m) globally and was the biggest movie of 2014 in the US.

"I am very glad my story is in the hands of gifted storyteller and filmmaker Clint Eastwood," said Sullenberger.

Passengers from the US Airways flight waited on the wings of the plane before being rescued by a boat

Clint Eastwood has directed several films based on real-life stories, including American Sniper, Invictus and J. Edgar

The film will show the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding Sullenberger's emergency landing on 15 January 2009, after multiple birds flew into the plane's jet engines, causing them to fail.

The pilot's book, Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters, also details his personal history before the accident.

He retired after 30 years as a pilot in 2010 and now campaigns for better flight safety.

"Simply put, Clint Eastwood is at the top of his game, not to mention a global treasure,'' said Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production at Warner Bros.

"On the heels of his extraordinary work in American Sniper, it is tremendously exciting to see him explore another captivating true-life hero."