Variety is reporting that Nicolas Cage will take on the role of Capt. Charles Butler McVay, captain in the WWII pic USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage.

 

The story of the USS Indianapolis was immortalized by Robert Shaw's character Quint in Steven Speilberg's Jaws. The ship had delivered parts that were going to be used for the atomic bomb, Little Boy. On its way back home it was struck to two Japanese torpedoes. Because her mission was a secret no one knew about the loss or that there were survivors until four days later. During that time the survivors faced exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and shark attacks while floating with few lifeboats and almost no food or water. Of the 1,196 sized crew only 317 survived.

 

The film is being produced by Hannibal Classics and will be directed by Mario Van Peebles. The script was written by Cam Cannon. Both Cannon and Hannibal Classics producer Richard Rionda Del Castro produced the Cage film Rage.

 

 

This is not the USS Indianapolis movie that Robert Downey Jr is producing under his Team Downey banner. Cannibal has reportedly been working on their film for the past five years. You cna imagine that the news about Downey's pic likely pushed the Hannibal production into high gear.

 

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage will be released over the Memorial Day weekend in 2016