Rescued American sea captain could make millions from pirate ordeal

Washington, Apr.17 (ANI): Rescued Maersk Line Captain Richard Phillips could make millions from giving out information on his harrowing experience as a hostage of Somali pirates for five days.

"Anything heroic is something people want - what with the current economic situation, people want something to hang onto. To maximize it in the right way should be of the biggest concern to him," Fox News quoted Sam Haskell, former worldwide head for television at the William Morris Agency, as saying.

Haskell predicts a book and a movie, at the very least, for Phillips.

"People are clamoring to represent him and get him those rights," he claimed.

Another top Hollywood agent says the best-case scenario for Phillips is a "seven-figure deal" for his life rights, to be featured on television and in a book.

But there are qualifications. Hardly anything is known about the captain, which makes crunching numbers a challenge.

"The amount he can make on his life rights deal depends on the leverage he has, and how many different producers are trying to get the property," explains Renee Tab, literary manager and producer at Artist Talent Management.It can start at literally a free option, and go up to hundreds of thousands of dollars," she added.

"Nobody knows much about this guy," says David Schwab, vice-president and managing director of Octagon First Call, a celebrity acquisition and activation service.

Experts suggest that one other source of revenue for Phillips may be in his "endorsement" value.

"The Captain's story should immediately put him in the 30,000-dollar-plus per-speech category," says Schwab. (ANI)