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Post Sully and America Sniper, Clint Eastwood will continue his streak of regular-guys-turned-unexpected-heroes movie making.

The director has set his next project at Warner Bros. based on the story of Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone, three Americans traveling in Europe who found themselves on a train from Brussels to Paris where they thwarted an attempted terrorist attack by overpowering the man armed with an AK-47.

The story was heavily covered on cable news, where the friends, one of which was in the Oregon National Guard and the other in the U.S. Air Force, were lauded for their bravery.

The feature will be based on the book The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes written by Sadler, Skarlatos, Stone and Jeffrey E. Stern.

Dorothy Blyskal adapted the book for the feature, which will be produced by Eastwood, Tim Moore, Kristina Rivera and Jessica Meier.

As of late, the seasoned actor-director has found a lot of success in the thrust-upon hero genre. Sully, which starred Tom Hanks as "Miracle on the Hudson" pilot Sully Sullenberger, grossed nearly $240 million at the global box office, while American Sniper earned an impressive $547 million and six Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture.

Eastwood is attached, as a producer, to Warner Bros.' A Star is Born remake, which is the directorial debut of his American Sniper lead Bradley Cooper. He is also working with the studio on Impossible Odds, the true story of aid worker Jessica Buchanan, who was kidnapped by Somali pirates.

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Clint Eastwood Casts Real-Life Heroes in Next Film ‘The 15:17 to Paris’ (EXCLUSIVE)

In an unconventional move, Clint Eastwood has tapped Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone to play themselves in his next movie, “The 15:17 to Paris.” The film will tell the story of the three Americans who stopped a terrorist on a train bound for Paris.

Jenna Fischer, Judy Greer, and Ray Corasani will also join the real-life heroes in the film. Paul-Mikel Williams, Max Ivutin, Bryce Gheisa, Cole Eichenberger, and William Jennings, who will play younger versions of the Sadler, Skarlatos and Stone.

The casting move is similar to Eastwood’s “Gran Torino,” which featured an almost unknown cast outside of Eastwood, who also starred in the movie.

Following the news that this would be his follow-up to the box office hit “Sully,” Eastwood began a wide-ranging search for the actors who would portray the three soldiers. It seemed the studio and Eastwood had their choices but at the eleventh hour have decided to have Sadler, Skarlatos and Stone portray themselves.

Sources say that, while the three will have good sized roles, the film is expected to begin during their childhood and show their friendship leading up to the moment that changed their lives. That means the roles will not be full-on leads.

The film is based on the book of the same name by Sadler, Skarlatos, Stone and Jeffrey E. Stern. Dorothy Blyskal will write the script.

Eastwood will produce with Tim Moore, Kristina Rivera and Jessica Meier. Warner Bros. will distribute, as will Village Roadshow Pictures in select territories.

The film falls in line with Eastwood’s recent interest in real-life heroes following “American Sniper” and “Sully,” both of which were two of his biggest box office hits.

Eastwood has met with actors for the past month since deciding the film would be his follow-up to “Sully.” Before landing on “The 15:17 to Paris,” Eastwood was weighing a handful of movies including “Impossible Odds,” the story of humanitarian worker Jessica Buchanan, who was kidnapped while working in Somalia and later rescued by a group of Navy Seals.

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https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/m...000&w=800&q=85

Clint Eastwood’s The 15:17 to Paris depicts how passengers on a French train in August 2015 overwhelmed an armed terrorist, preventing a probable mass shooting. It’s also a grand experiment for the 87-year-old filmmaker, who cast many of the real people involved in the incident to play themselves, including three young Americans (Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone). Did anyone suggest he think twice about that decision? “Oh, yeah,” he says. “A lot of people suggested that.”

Above, see an exclusive image of Eastwood on set with Stone and Sadler, and below, read more from the Oscar-winning filmmaker about shooting in the actual locations, why it became important to include those involved, and whether we’ll ever see him in front of the camera again.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What attracted you to this story?
CLINT EASTWOOD: It was a tribute to the common man. These were just young men going on a trip, and when this terrorist got on the train, they jumped into action and potentially saved a lot of lives. The terrorist happened to have two guns, an AK-47 with almost 300 rounds of ammunition, and a Luger. He obviously wasn’t up to any good.

How did you come to cast the actual people as the film’s leads?
I looked at a lot of very good actors who could possibly have done the job. But I kept looking at the faces of these young men — “boys,” I call them. I thought these faces were unique. It just struck me that it would be an interesting experiment. It could be bold or reckless, depending on how it comes out. [Laughs] Anyway, they were enthusiastic about trying it, so we went with them, and I think people will be a little surprised. But as we got going, I started looking at other people who were involved. I thought, I wonder if they’d all like to come back? One thing led to another.

You shot at the locations where the events happened?
We shot at the exact locations. One couple, Mark and Isabelle [Moogalian] — he had been shot in the neck and almost died. I think it was a catharsis [for them] to come back and revisit it with all the people. It probably was a catharsis for everybody.

The gunman, Ayoub El-Khazzani, originally said he planned on robbing passengers but has since been linked to an Islamic State terrorist cell. How much does the film detail his background?
Well, you don’t find out anything about him. It wasn’t his story.

You’re not in this film yourself. Will we ever see you in front of the camera again?
I’m sure, when the right thing comes along. A valuable character that would suit me — I’d go for that. If not, I’ll stay right in the back. [Laughs] A man’s got to know his limitations.

The 15:17 to Paris arrives in theaters Feb. 9.

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