Hilary Swank is ready to star as the legendary pilot Amelia Earhart in the Mira Nair directed biopic Amelia. According to Variety, screenwriter Ron Bass turned in the script just before the writers' strike had begun.

Swank will portray Earhart, a famous American aviation pioneer, author and women's rights advocate who disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean. Earhart caused a media frenzy when she vanished near Howland Island during her 1937 attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

Production for Amelia is scheduled to start in April.

Amelia was released October 23rd, 2009 and stars Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Joe Anderson, Cherry Jones, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Abrams. The film is directed by Mira Nair.