Capitalizing on a natural disaster and the suffering of thousands of people, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Overbrook Entertainment have obtained the motion picture 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.

His story will be produced by James Lassiter, Will Smith and Ken Stovitz through Overbrook, as well as by Adetoro Makinde’s Back Door Films.

It is being written by John Lee Hancock, who is also onboard to direct.