Moviegoers are getting their first look at a World War II epic filmed in Alabama.
The first official trailer for “USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage,” starring Nicolas Cage, has been released.
The film, shot at Mobile’s USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park and in Orange Beach, tells the story of the USS Indianapolis, which was tasked with delivering critical components of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, hastening an end to the war.
Disaster strikes on the return leg of the mission, when torpedoes from a Japanese submarine sink the ship in a matter of minutes and leave the crew stranded in the Philippine Sea. Their mission was so secret that the ship was not reported missing.
For five days, the survivors fend off hunger, thirst and shark attacks.
The film, which also stars Tom Sizemore and Thomas Jane, is set for a Memorial Day weekend release.
Gaining stature
Alabama’s profile in the film industry has been on the rise since 2009, when the Legislature approved incentives packages aimed at attracting movie studios.
Major motion pictures filmed partially in the state in recent years include “Selma,” which depicted pivotal moments of the 1960s Civil Rights movement, and “42,” which traced Jackie Robinson’s integration of major league baseball. Last year’s “Woodlawn,” a movie focusing on a celebrated 1974 high school football game, was filmed entirely in Birmingham.
Mobile has been the location choice for several recent flicks, including “Rage,” also starring Nicolas Cage, “The Prince” with Bruce Willis, and “Heist” starring Robert DeNiro.
The Alabama Film Office, which facilitates productions in the state, is part of the Alabama Department of Commerce.
This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.
