According to Variety, Walt Disney Pictures has set Brent Maddock and Steve Wilson to write an untitled film about the Navy Marine Mammal Program.

They'll be penning dialogue for otters, sea lions and dolphins, as the film will be told from the point of view of the animals being trained for military rescue operations.

The pic will merge two pitches bought by the studio on the subject. One was for a live-action film set up by producer Patrick Aiello with Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray's Mayhem Pictures, the other for an animated film hatched by I Am Sam director Jessie Nelson and Nina Laden, an author of children's books. All five will produce.

The pic will likely be live action but could be a CGI animation project. Story is set at the San Diego Marine Mammals base, where the Navy trains the critters to rescue downed pilots, protect ships and do other underwater stunts humans can't.

Disney's Brigham Taylor and Mayhem's Jon Mone will shepherd the project.