Robert Downey Jr. is teaming up with director Tate Taylor for an untitled project based on the true story of the U.S.S. Indianapolis sinking in 1945, which marks its 70th anniversary this year. The actor has been developing the project with Warner Bros. since August 2011, with Mike Jones writing the screenplay. The harrowing tale of the U.S.S. Indianapolis was famously told by Robert Shaw in the 1975 classic Jaws.

The U.S.S. Indianapolis was sunk by Japanese torpedoes in 1945, with the crew stranded in shark-infested waters for over five days. Of the over 900 crew members on board, only 300 survived the ordeal, battling starvation, hypothermia and some of the most dangerous shark attacks in history. The ship's captain. Charles McVay was court-martialed over the ship's secret mission to deliver the Hiroshima bomb. The plot will be set in the year 1996, following the separate true story of an 11-year-old boy named Hunter Scott, who has a school project based on the incident. The boy begins digging into the truth surrounding the sinking, and learns that McVay is actually a hero.

Team Downey's Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey are producing alongside David Gambino, although it isn't known if Robert Downey Jr. plans on starring in the film as well. No production schedule was given at this time. Robert Downey Jr. most recently starred in The Judge, and he will next be seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War.