Even when the news outlets were reporting on the dramatic encounter between the cargo ship Maersk Alabama and Somali pirates, they called it-- this will make a great movie some day. Turns out Columbia Pictures was the quickest to the draw, snapping up the life rights for Captain Richard Phillips as well as optioning his upcoming memoir.

The film is in the early stages, obviously, but Variety reports that Michael DeLuca, Kevin Spacey, Dana Brunetti and Scott Rudin have all signed on to produce. Apparently Brunetti, a former Coast Guard member, personally flew to meet with Phillips and discuss plans for the film.

Phillips, you'll remember, was the captain kidnapped by the pirates after he surrendered himself in order to protect the crew. He made one escape attempt before Navy SEAL snipers stepped in and killed three of the four pirates. Yes, this is an awesome story. The challenge now is making a movie that's even more interesting than the headlines that had us all gripped for days.