For those that don't know or follow the news on a regular basis, Somalia is basically hell on Earth. Not only is the crime rate worthy of any traveler messing their pants, but there is no formal judicial system or government. Oh, and did I mention pirates? Yeah, there are pirates. Think less Johnny Depp, more kidnapping and shooting you.
Some of you might recall a situation earlier this year involving said pirates, a hijacked ship, navy snipers and three well-targeted bullets (here is a clip from South Park to refresh your memory). It only took Columbia Pictures a few weeks to secure the film rights to the story, and now a writer has been attached to the project.
According to Variety, Billy Ray (not Cyrus) has been tapped to write the script based on the experience of Richard Phillips, the rescued ship captain, based on Phillips' memoir, which is due out next April. Ray's previous works range from the overlooked State of Play, the mediocre Flightplan and the utter-waste-of-time Suspect Zero (but blame should probably go to Zak Penn for that one).
As far as news stories go, this one was probably a good choice, but hopefully the whole story arc won't be overshadowed by what should be a tremendously climactic conclusion. I say go for it... as long as there is no Balloon Boy movie in the near future.
Also, personal message to Billy Ray: ever think of going by Bill?
