Somali Pirates Hijack Tom Hanks' Ship in 'Captain Phillips' Blockbuster

Columbia Pictures' action-thriller Captain Phillips stars two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

The Maersk Alabama hijacking was a series of events involving piracy that began with four Somali pirates seizing the cargo ship MV Maersk Alabama 240 nautical miles southeast of the Somali port city of Eyl. This event ended after a rescue effort by U.S. troops on 12 April 2009. It was the first successful pirate seizure of a ship registered under the American flag since the early 19th century. It was the sixth vessel in a week to be attacked by pirates who had previously extorted ransoms in the tens of millions of dollars.

Photo: The real Captain Phillips (right) with Commander Frank Castellano of the USS Bainbridge after being rescued.

The film is directed by Oscar® nominee Paul Greengrass, from a screenplay by Billy Ray and based upon the book, A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty.

The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and Michael De Luca.

See previous coverage on the Maersk Alabama hijacking below:

Former Maersk Alabama Crew Sues Ship Owner and Operator Over Hijacking

Pirates Attack the Maersk Alabama Again

U.S. Sentences Pirate To 33+ Years in Prison

Jailed Maersk Pirate Ordered Hit On Ship Captain