The incredible true story concerning three WWII flyers who crash land in the South Pacific and must rely on each other to survive will come to the big screen courtesy of The American Film Company, which will produce the feature. The company has announced that they have found its three-man cast. The close knit group will come to life through actors Garret Dillahunt (“No Country for Old Men,”) Tom Felton (“Harry Potter,”) and Jake Abel (“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.”)
American Film Company President and producer Brian Falk makes his directorial debut retelling the events which began on January 16, 1942. Veteran Navy pilot Harold Dixon (Dillahunt,) and his young crew — radioman Gene Aldrich (Abel,) and bombardier Tony Pastula (Felton) — take off from the deck of aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to search for Japanese submarines in the glistening waters of the South Pacific. The three men are virtual strangers, assigned to spend an afternoon together in a single-engine torpedo bomber. They should be back on the ship in time for dinner.
As the sun sets, they are forced to ditch their plane after they somehow lose their carrier and run out of fuel. Most significantly, the plane itself sinks to the ocean floor, carrying with it nearly all of their emergency supplies. Instead of dinner, evening finds the men adrift on a dark ocean in a tiny rubber raft.
They must endure without a first aid kit, compass, signaling device, and food and water.
Thus begins “Ghosts of the Pacific,” the incredible account of a 34-day odyssey that has become a Navy legend. Dixon, Aldrich, and Pastula were cast adrift on the high seas, assaulted by sharks and storms, burned in the relentless sun, and nearly starved to death.
Faced with these long odds — when it would be easier to simply roll into the dark water and embrace death’s eternal slumber — the three men challenge the fates to set them free by trying to sail their little craft a thousand miles to safety.
American Film Company founder, CEO, and Executive Producer on the film Joe Ricketts had this to say about the story.
“I’ve always been attracted to true stories that showcase ordinary people in extraordinary situations. The men in Ghosts of the Pacific faced seemingly insurmountable odds and yet they never gave up. They were America’s first heroes of the Pacific war.”
The adventure “Ghosts of the Pacific” will begin principle photography on April 15th at Baja Studios in Rosarito, Mexico at the facility that houses the world’s largest outdoor water tank, which was built for James Cameron’s “Titanic.” The film stars Garret Dillahunt, Tom Felton, and Jake Abel. Mark David Keegan and Brian Falk wrote the screenplay, while Mark Moran and Brian Falk produce. Kurt Graver will co-produce. Joe Ricketts will Executive Produce. Brian Falk directs.
Sources: The American Film Company, IMDb