According to movie industry news, Hollywood is about to make a movie in which Tom Hanks will play the part of Richard Phillips, the captain of the Maersk Alabama which was attacked by Somali pirates in 2009.
Phillips became something of a hero for his role as hostage for the remainder of his crew. During this period and while accompanying the pirates in the ship’s lifeboat (not by choice), US Navy snipers shot and killed his three captors, while a fourth who was on board the USS Bainbridge negotiating with the Americans was taken prisoner.
According to movie industry news, Hollywood is about to make a movie in which Tom Hanks will play the part of Richard Phillips, the captain of the Maersk Alabama which was attacked by Somali pirates in 2009.
Phillips became something of a hero for his role as hostage for the remainder of his crew. During this period and while accompanying the pirates in the ship’s lifeboat (not by choice), US Navy snipers shot and killed his three captors, while a fourth who was on board the USS Bainbridge negotiating with the Americans was taken prisoner.
Now Sony Pictures wants to make a movie based on Phillips’ book, A Captain’s Day: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, written about the event. Sony wants Hanks to play the part of the ship’s captain – John Wayne being unavailable!
What Phillips’ fellow officers and crew think of the matter is not clear – not all believed the captain to be the hero of the occasion. Some accused him of having been reckless and responsible for placing the ship in danger – the ship was sailing within 400 miles of the Somali coast at the time.
It was said that sailing beyond the 600-mile threshold then recommended would have added more than a day to the Alabama's voyage to Mombasa, Kenya, and used extra fuel.
“He caused this, and we all know it,” the ship’s chief engineer Mike Perry was quoted as saying. “All the Alabama crew knows about it.” The ship’s navigator was equally critical of Phillips ignoring warnings not to sail so close to the coast. But the captain’s second in command, Captain Shane Murphy defended his captain, saying “I don’t think he was negligent, maybe, just stubborn.”
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