( CNN ) -- Ruthless pirates try to hijack an unarmed American ship . They seize the captain and , after negotiations fail , Navy SEALs stage a daring rescue . It reads like the plot of a Hollywood movie . And now it is one . The real-life events that surrounded the 2009 attempted seizure of the Maersk Alabama inspired the film `` Captain Phillips , '' which will be released on Friday . When asked about taking on the leading role in the film , Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks said his main focus was accurately portraying Capt . Richard Phillips ' story . `` I do n't want to ruin his life by , you know , turning his motivations into something they were n't , '' Hanks said earlier this month . That can be difficult , Hanks said , because of `` the fakery that goes on '' in creating a cohesive screenplay based on real-life events . `` When we met , I told Rich , I said , 'Hey , look , I 'm going to say things you never said and I 'm going to be places you never were , but what I 'm going for is ... authenticity . ' `` Phillips ' crew members say he is not the hero the film will likely present him as . ( `` If you want to shoot someone , shoot me ! '' Tom Hanks bravely yells at one of the armed Somali pirates , in the movie 's trailer . ) In reality , Phillips ignored numerous warnings to stay farther off the coast of Somalia , the site of dozens of hijackings , which hit their peak in 2008 and gained international attention . Many of the Alabama 's crew members are suing the shipping company , the Danish shipping line Maersk , in part because they say Phillips deliberately sailed the ship into harm 's way to shorten the trip to Mombasa , Kenya , and save money . On April 8 , 2009 , four armed Somali pirates boarded the Maersk Alabama about 380 miles off the Somali coast . After failing to take control of the ship , the pirates seized Phillips and held the captain on a small lifeboat for five days until Navy SEALs shot and killed three of the kidnappers and captured the fourth . Somalia pirate retires . Before the incident , a private maritime security agency called Securewest International had sent e-mail warnings about piracy in the region to all ships in the area ; one was sent specifically to Phillips . Each e-mail was based on information from British and U.S. naval authorities and one urged the Alabama to stay clear of the shipping lanes where Phillips was heading . `` Vessels should consider maintaining a distance of more than 600 nautical miles from the Somali coastline , '' one of the Securewest messages advised . Phillips said to CNN 's Drew Griffin in 2010 and in a court deposition last year that he ignored the numerous warnings that urged him to go farther out to sea . Accused high-ranking Somali pirate gets life sentences . Phillips is a witness in the lawsuit between some of the crew and the shipping company , scheduled to go to trial in December . When asked last year why he decided not to take the boat farther offshore , Phillips testified , `` I do n't believe 600 miles would make you safe . I did n't believe 1,200 miles would make you safe . As I told the crew , it would be a matter of when , not if ... We were always in this area . '' After his rescue by U.S. Navy SEAL commandos , Phillips was lauded as a hero and wrote a book about his ordeal , `` A Captain 's Duty . '' The publisher promoted him as a sea captain who risked his life by offering himself as a hostage `` in exchange for the safety of the crew , '' something Phillips later acknowledged was a falsity spread by erroneous media reports . `` I did n't give myself up , '' he told Griffin during his book tour in 2010 . `` I was already a hostage by then . '' He later said , `` The media made everything out to be me . But that 's the media . When I came home , I really did n't go and put myself in front of the media . A lot of my crew did . I did n't . '' He said the real heroes are the Navy SEALs and his crew , who he said stayed calm , followed orders and instincts , and prevented a tragedy . `` They did a wonderful job , '' he said . `` It 's in the book . Everywhere I speak , I say what a great job they did . '' CNN 's Drew Griffin and David Fitzpatrick contributed to this report . Watch Anderson Cooper . 360° weeknights 8pm ET . For the latest from AC360° click here .
`` Captain Phillips , '' starring Tom Hanks , opens Friday . It is based on the 2009 attempted hijacking of the Maersk Alabama . The crew members have criticized Phillips for ignoring warnings . The crew 's lawsuit against Maersk is scheduled for trial in December .