Clint Eastwood to direct film about 'Miracle on the Hudson' pilot Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger

Clint Eastwood will follow his box-office sensation American Sniper with a biopic of pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.

Warner Bros. announced Tuesday that Eastwood will direct and produce the not-yet-titled drama as his next film. The film is to be adapted from Sullenberger's 2009 memoir, Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters, which chronicled his personal history before he famously landed a US Airways plane in the Hudson River in New York in 2009.

It was an event that saved the lives of all 155 people on board, was recorded on video and watched around the world, making Sullenberger an instant celebrity.'

The National Transportation Safety Board called the landing "the most successful ditching in aviation history."

"I am very glad my story is in the hands of gifted storyteller and filmmaker Clint Eastwood," Sullenberger said in a statement.

It will be Eastwood's first film after the biggest box-office hit of his career. The Oscar-winning American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, made $543.4 million globally for Warner Bros. and became the top domestic release of 2014.

• Pilot landed in Hudson to avoid 'catastrophic' crash
• Audio released of Hudson pilot's calm mayday call

The film will be produced by Frank Marshall and Allyn Stewart and penned by Todd Komarnici.

"Simply put, Clint Eastwood is at the top of his game, not to mention a global treasure," said Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production at Warner Bros. "On the heels of his extraordinary work in American Sniper, it is tremendously exciting to see him explore another captivating true-life hero."