Michael Bay will direct a film about the daring escape and rescue mission of the American F-16 crew in Iran

Hollywood filmmaker Michael Bay is set to direct a new feature film based on the recent US military rescue operation in Iran, bringing the high-risk combat mission to the big screen just months after it took place.

The Universal Pictures-backed project will dramatize the April 3 downing of a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle and the subsequent rescue of two crew members during a U.S.-led operation in Iran, Deadline reported.

The film will focus on what US officials have described as a complex combat search and rescue operation in Iran’s Zagros Mountains.

According to reports, the plane – call sign “Dude 44” – was shot down by Iranian air defenses around 4:40 a.m. local time during Operation Epic Fury.

Both crew members ejected and landed separately. One was reportedly located and rescued within hours of the intense encounter, while the other eluded capture for a long time while wounded and hiding in mountainous terrain.

US Special Forces later recovered the second airman in a coordinated extraction operation.

President Donald Trump later described the mission as: “One of the largest, most complex and harrowing combat search and rescue missions the military has ever attempted.

Michael Bay’s war drama

According to Deadline, Michael Bay, known for big action movies like Transformers and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, will direct the project.

The film is expected to be based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s upcoming book, which HarperCollins plans to release in 2027.

Bay will reunite with producers Scott Gardenhour and Erwin Stoff, with whom he previously worked on 13 Hours.

Hollywood meets military narrative

Bay has a long history of working with the US military on productions including The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor and Transformers, often receiving logistical and operational support for realistic depictions.

The upcoming film continues this trend, focusing on real-life military operations and high-intensity rescue scenarios.