Hilary Swank set to star in Mira Nair's 'Amelia'

Washington, Feb 8 : Hilary Swank has signed on to star as legendary pilot Amelia Earhart in Mira Nair's biopic 'Amelia.'

Screenwriter Ron Bass turned in the script just before the writers' strike had begun, reports Variety.

The film is set to cover the early days of Earhart's career, when a society dame called Amy Guest set up a non-stop flight across the Atlantic and sought a female pilot to make the trip to maximise the publicity involved.

Her publicist, George Putmann, was dispatched to find such a pilot - and came back with the young Earhart, who would soon be propelled to international fame by the feat.

Production for 'Amelia' is scheduled to start in April, with Ted Waitt financing the project through his Avalon Pictures banner.

Waitt will produce along with Avalon prexy Kevin Hyman and Lydia Dean Pilcher; the latter is Nair's producing partner.

Bass delivered the script using Susan Butler's book 'East to the Dawn,' Mary Lovell's 'The Sound of the Wings' and Elgin Long's 'Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved' as primary resources.

ANI