Clint Eastwood Casts The Real Soldier Heroes in His Paris Train Attack Movie THE 15:17 TO PARIS

The soldier heroes that were involved in the 2015 terrorist attack attempt in Paris, Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone, have been cast to play themselves in director Clint Eastwood's film The 15:17 To Paris. These are the men that thwarted the attack, and this movie will tell their story.

While traveling in Europe, the trio 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, saving the lives of the 500 passengers on board. 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.   

I think it's awesome that Eastwood cast these guys to play themselves! That's such an interesting and bold move to make and it's one that I applaud. Eastwood is one of the best directors working in Hollywood and he normally casts big name actors to recreate these kinds of stories. Obviously, he's changing things up for his next film.

I guess, what better people to cast in the film than the ones that were actually involved with what happened. Their first-hand experience could prove to be invaluable. They will be joined by Jenna Fischer, Judy Greer and Ray Corasani. 

The movie 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.  Here's the plot summary of that book:

On August 21, 2015, Ayoub El-Khazzani boarded train #9364 in Brussels, bound for Paris. There could be no doubt about his mission: he had an AK-47, a pistol, a box cutter, and enough ammunition to obliterate every passenger on board. Slipping into the bathroom in secret, he armed his weapons. Another major ISIS attack was about to begin.

Khazzani wasn't expecting Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone. Stone was a martial arts enthusiast and airman first class in the US Air Force, Skarlatos was a member of the Oregon National Guard, and all three were fearless. But their decision—to charge the gunman, then overpower him even as he turned first his gun, then his knife, on Stone—depended on a lifetime of loyalty, support, and faith.

Their friendship was forged as they came of age together in California: going to church, playing paintball, teaching each other to swear, and sticking together when they got in trouble at school. Years later, that friendship would give all of them the courage to stand in the path of one of the world's deadliest terrorist organizations.

The 15:17 to Paris is an amazing true story of friendship and bravery, of near tragedy averted by three young men who found the heroic unity and strength inside themselves at the moment when they, and 500 other innocent travelers, needed it most.

What do you think about Eastwood casting these three guys to play themselves in the movie?