Hilary Swank will star in and executive produce a movie about a dynamic woman of the early 20th Century whose sudden disappearance on July 2, 1937 still remains one of the greatest mysteries of all time. Earhart disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island during one of her record-setting flights. After extensive searches that lasted for months neither her body or any wreckage were ever found. To this day her case is an intriquing mystery that many still try to solve with explanations ranging from radio and equipment malfunction, or UFO abduction to being shot down by a Japanese fighter plane. All of these and more have been blamed for her disappearance, however, no substantial evidence has been found after seven decades of investigation.
The bio-pic titled “Amelia,” is being directed by Mira Nair (“Mississippi Masala,” “Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love”) and covers the life of the famous aviatrix in the early stages of the career that would finally bring about her vanishing act. Earhart is cited as the first true feminist icon.
The Ron Bass (also exec. prod.) script for “Amelia” was completed before the writers strike started and will begin production sometime in April 2008.
Meanwhile Nair is also attached to direct a vehicle for Johnny Depp called “Shantaram,” a crime drama about a heroin addict incarcerated for a robbery and escapes prison only to reinvent himself as a doctor in the slums of Bombay, India. “Shantaram,” currently in pre-production, is slated for a 2009 release.
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