Film Society of Lincoln Center announces opening night selection

Tom Hanks just finished a months-long stint on Broadway in “Lucky Guy” but he’s not done with New York.

The 51st annual New York Film Festival will kick off with the world premiere of “Captain Phillips,” a drama starring Hanks that is centered on the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates.

The Oscar winner plays the title character in the movie from director Paul Greengrass, who is best known for his work on “United 93” and the Bourne films with Matt Damon.

The festival is scheduled for September 27 through October 13 at various Lincoln Center venues.

“We expect about 2,000 people to come out for the opening night,” John Wildman, spokesman for the Film Society of Lincoln Center, told amNewYork. “We’ll have staggered screenings opening night.”