It’s been more than a decade since Robert Zemeckis last directed a live-action film. He’s been having too much fun with performance capture and digital film-making with films like The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol.
But it looks like he may be going back to traditional movies with Flight.
Written by John Gatins (Real Steel), the film tells the story of a pilot who, when disaster strikes, manages to land a plane and becomes hailed as a hero. When investigation into the disaster occurs, though, details come to light that paint the supposed hero in a less than glorious light. The film is the pilot’s journey as he is encouraged to wear a hero label he thinks he doesn’t deserve, while the pilot’s union and airline try to keep the facts under cover because of the high stakes involved.
The project is set up at Paramount, and would be Zemeckis’ first live-action venture since 2000’s Cast Away starring Tom Hanks.
Paramount and Zemeckis are very interested in having this project happen quickly – production could start by late summer. On paper it doesn’t present itself as being by special effects driven, more of a character study.
Of likely candidates to star, Denzel Washington is loosely attached to the project. If Paramount and Zemeckis reach an agreement the production would take precedence over the filmmaker’s other projects, like the gestating Who Framed Roger Rabbit? sequel.
