The trailer for Clint Eastwood’s new film about the 2015 French train attack has been released – starring the real American heroes who helped thwart the attack.
The 15:17 to Paris is based on a book the three Americans – Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone – wrote about the attack, with the help of writer Jeffrey E. Stern.
When Eastwood originally took on the project, he was looking to hire actors to play the threesome – but at the last minute it was decided that the men would play themselves.
A trailer for Clint Eastwood’s new film on the 2015 French train attack was released on Wednesday
The American heroes of the attack play themselves in the film. Spencer Stone (left) and Alek Skarlatos (right) pictured in a scene from the movie
Stone and Skarlatos were on a European vacation with school friend Anthony Sadler (pictured) in a film still) at the time
None of three have acting experience, but it doesn’t show in the clips released in the trailer on Wednesday.
The trailer shows bits of the attack unfolding – including Stone charging at the gunman, who is seen aiming an assault rifle at him.
Since the attack itself only played out over a few minutes, the rest of the film will detail the friends’ back stories and what led up the moment that made them international heroes.
Quick-thinking: The three men leapt into action when a gunman started menacing passengers on their train to Paris
The film will cover their three friends’ lives leading up to the 2015 attack (Stone pictured)
Stone is seen charging at the armed gunman in the trailer released Wednesday
The alleged terrorist’s gun jammed at the moment the three friends charged at him
Stone was wounded taking the terrorist down and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment
The three friends met attending Freedom Christian School in Fair Oaks, California.
They continued their friendship into adulthood, and were on a vacation together in 2015 when the attack happened. At the time, Sadler and Stone were 23 while Skarlatos was 22.
Sadler had flown out to Europe to have a vacation with his high school friends while on a break from college. Skarlatos and Stone were in the military at the time, and were on leave.
The three friends were on their way to Paris, when the 25-year-old Moroccan gunman – Ayoub El Khazzani – came out of a bathroom on the train and started menacing riders armed with an assault rifle.
The movie’s tagline is ‘In the face of fear ordinary people can do the extraordinary’
Two other men tried and failed to take down the gunman before the three friends lept into action.
Sadler told CNN that Skarlatos yelled ‘Get him!’ before Stone started charging at the man, followed by Skarlatos and then himself.
Stone worked to restrain the gunman while Skarlatos grabbed his rifle an started beating the man over the head until he passed out.
In the process, Stone suffered multiple injuries to his hand, head and neck, but after the gunman was secured, he used his training as an Air Force medic to tend to one of the first men who tried to take down the terrorist.
The train was rerouted to a nearby station and Stone and the other passenger he was helping were taken to the hospital for treatment.
The real thing: Skarlatos, Stone and Sadler are seen in a picture from their European vacation
Ayoub El Khazzani claimed that he only meant to rob the train passengers because he was homeless. Prosecutors believe he was motivated by Islamist beliefs
Aftermath: Stone is seen being moved in a wheelchair after the attack, with blood stains covering his body
Investigators look over the train after it was rerouted in the aftermath of the attack
After the incident, the three men were called heroes both in France and back home in America.
Three days after the incident, the three men were made Knights of the Legion of Honour by French President Francois Hollande – the first of many awards for the three men.
They later were welcomed to the White House by then-President Obama to be thanked for their service.
The new film also features Jenna Fischer and Judy Greer and is due out in theaters on February 9.
At the the time of the attack, Skarlatos was an Oregon National Guardsman and Stone was in the Air Force.
Skarlatos remains a specialist in the National Guard while Stone has retired from the Air Force with the rank of staff sergeant.
Last year, Khazzani admitted he carried out the attack in the name of ISIS.
Three days after the incident, the three men were made Knights of the Legion of Honour by French President Francois Hollande – the first of many awards for the three men
Heroes’ welcome: The friends also got a reception with then-President Barack Obama