Sony Pictures Entertainment and Overbrook Entertainment have obtained the motion picture life rights to John Keller, an ex-Marine who orchestrated the rescue of 244 of his New Orleans neighbors after their building, the American Can Company, was severely flooded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures.

Keller's story will be produced into a feature film by James Lassiter, Will Smith, and Ken Stovitz through their Overbrook Entertainment banner, as well as by Adetoro Makinde's Back Door Films.

The film will be written and directed by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, The Alamo, the upcoming The Blind Side).