On January 15, 2009, something amazing happened just off the west side of New York City: Pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger landed a damaged US Airways flight on the Hudson River — and all 155 passengers and crew survived.
Amazing, right? Well, at long last Sully and his story are about to get the big screen treatment they so richly deserve, courtesy of star Tom Hanks (as Sully) and director Clint Eastwood. The movie is based on the book "Highest Duty," co-written by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow — who is the dad of TODAY editor Alexandra Zaslow.
And now the first trailer for "Sully" can be seen, in all of its tense, exciting glory!
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It's no secret that the landing went well (the airplane had been damaged on takeoff by hitting a flock of birds, and Sully made a command decision to make a hugely difficult water landing rather than possibly not make it to a nearby airport to land), the movie appears to focus on other areas, like the aftermath.
"Over 40 years in the air," says Hanks, as Sullenberger, in the trailer, "but in the end, I'm going to be judged on 208 seconds."
Even though we know how this story ends, and that Sullenberger (who retired in 2010 after 30 years of service to the airline) actually turns out to be the kind of in-air and on-ground good guy we don't see enough of (in real life, he located a library book he'd been toting on the downed flight and returned it to the New York Public Library, getting a key to the city in return), it still looks like the kind of movie we'll be on the edge of our seats for.
MORE: Capt. ‘Sully’ flies into details of ‘Highest Duty’
"Sully" opens in theaters on Sept. 9.
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