Watch the First Trailer for The Finest Hours
Long before the winter of 2015 brought us the Boston Yeti (a welcome addition to the scene) and the unmelting snow pile in Southie (less welcome), and even before the monster nor’easter of 1978, there was the winter of 1952.
If you thought that the Great MBTA Breakdown of 2015 was catastrophic, imagine being stuck in the waters off the coast of New England, aboard a ship torn in half by the storm.
This is the tale that unravels in The Finest Hours, an upcoming Walt Disney Pictures action-thriller directed by Craig Gillespie and based on the true story of a Coast Guard rescue of two Boston-bound oil tankers, the SS Pendleton and SS Fort Mercer. The screenplay is based on a 2009 book by Casey Sherman—who also co-authored Boston Strong—and Michael J. Tougias.
Casey Affleck stars as the senior officer among more than 30 men stuck aboard the Pendleton, caught in the wake of 60-foot high waves and hurricane-force winds just off the coast of Cape Cod. When word of the disaster reaches the U.S. Coast Guard station in Chatham, Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff, portrayed by Eric Bana, orders a rescue operation. Chris Pine plays Coast Guard Captain Bernie Webber, who leads a small team equipped with wooden lifeboats to retrieve the stranded men.
Filming took place last year in various places throughout Massachusetts, including Quincy, the South Shore, Chatham, and Marshfield.
For a sneak preview of the drama, the romance, and Chris Pine’s interesting take at a Boston accent, check out the first trailer above. The film is set for release on January 29 and will be available to view in Digital 3D and IMAX 3D.