Paul Walker’s Brother Cody Walker Starring in Nicolas Cage’s ‘USS Indianapolis’
July 15, 2015 | 02:54PM PT Dave McNary

Paul Walker’s brother, Cody Walker, is starring alongside Nicolas Cage in the World War II movie “USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage.”

This marks the first major role for Cody Walker, who replaced his late brother in “Furious 7″ after he was killed in a 2013 car crash. Tom Sizemore, Thomas Jane, Matt Lanter and Brian Presley round out the cast.

Mario Van Peebles is directing from a script by Cam Cannon and Hannibal Classics principal Richard Rionda Del Castro. Producers are Rionda Del Castro and Michael Mendelsohn of Patriot Pictures, who are also financing “Men of Courage” with Hannibal Classics.

Saban Films acquired U.S. rights during Cannes. The film is scheduled to be released over the 2016 Memorial Day weekend.

Ness Saban and Saban Films president Bill Bromiley will exec produce, along with Patricia Eberle, Timothy Patrick Cavanaugh, Dama Claire, Jamal Hanan, Mariusz Lukomski and Frederico Lapenda.

Cage is playing the role of Capt. Charles Butler McVay, whose ship was torpedoed in the South Pacific in July 1945, after delivering parts for the first atomic bombs. Their mission was classified, so the Indianapolis was not reported missing until four days later.

Cody Walker is playing one of the crewmen. Of 1,196 crewmen aboard, approximately 300 went down with the ship, while the rest faced exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks as they waited for assistance.

Only 317 sailors survived, and McVay was court-martialed, then exonerated more than half a century later.

Cody Walker is represented by Paradigm and Luber Roklin.

Mario Van Peebles is directing

In March of 1942 Indianapolis was relieved, and returned home for a much needed refit during which she would be outfitted with more firepower and a search radar.

Indianapolis returned to Mare Island in the spring of 1943 for a major overhaul preparatory to becoming the Flagship for Admiral Raymond Spruance, Commander, Fifth Fleet and the victor of the battle at Midway. While at Mare Island, Indianapolis had her bridge and flag deck further modified, and a modern Combat Information Center was installed. She received a modern long range surface-search radar, and more antiaircraft mounts were installed.

The Force returned to Majuro in the Gilberts on the 6th of April. Indianapolis arrived back in Pearl Harbor on the 14th, where ADM Spruance began planning the conquest of the Marianas. It was sometime after her return in April that Indianapolis received her crazy quilt camouflage paint scheme.

She then moved to Manus in the Admiralty Islands for ten more days of operations before heading back to the States and Mare Island.

While in overhaul and refit Indianapolis underwent many changes. The air search radar was elevated an additional 20 feet; a smaller stick mast with an RDF (Radio Direction Finding) antenna was added to the mainmast; a new fire control dish replaced the more cumbersome "bedspring" antenna on the fire control directors; and two whip antennas were added to the forward funnel. Two quad 40mm mounts replaced the dual mounts on the fantail; and a total of five 20mm mounts were removed. The camouflage scheme was changed with a false waterline of dull black from the main deck down and the rest of the ship painted a light grey.

OVERHAUL MAY THROUGH JUNE 1945
In anticipation of the invasion of Japan, Indianapolis received the most up-to-date equipment the Navy had available. The newest electronic equipment was installed, including new main-battery director radars, fire control radar on two 40 mm mounts near the after funnel, electronic countermeasure equipment and a new communications capability.

The 20 mm battery was again changed, with eight twin 20mm mounts replacing the singles. The starboard catapult was removed, the aircraft crane beefed-up, and the old biplane SOCs were replaced by two new SC-2 Curtiss Seahawks. The paint scheme remained the same; grey with a false waterline.