Robert Zemeckis could return to live-action directing for Flight

Robert Zemeckis could return to live-action directing for Flight , which is based on a script by Real Steel 's John Gatins.

The story is said to focus on an airline pilot who is hailed as a hero after a successful crash-landing, even though the entire mishap was the result of his flying under the influence of drink and drugs.

While Zemeckis would likely be up for an SFX-extravaganza plane-crash, the majority of the movie will focus on the pilot's guilt, and the subsequent cover-up that takes place.

Denzel Washington is very loosely attached to the lead role.

Zemeckis has been working exclusively in the medium of motion-capture since 2004's The Polar Express , but he's been looking for a new project since Disney dumped his Yellow Submarine remake.

His last live-action film was Cast Away , which shares a plane-crash inspired premise with Flight . Mars Needs Moms , a mocap movie produced by Zemeckis, recently performed abysmally at the box office.

According to Deadline's report, Zemeckis is considering a number of projects at the moment, and while there's no guarantee that he'll sign on for Flight , there is the possibility that the film could enter production this summer.

Matt Maytum
Editor, Total Film

I'm the Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the running of the mag, and generally obsessing over all things Nolan, Kubrick and Pixar. Over the past decade I've worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+, and you can often hear me nattering on the Inside Total Film podcast. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.