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View Comments On a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to New York several years ago, flight attendant T.J. Newman suddenly had a thought: What would happen if someone kidnapped a pilot’s family and demanded that the pilot crash the plane in exchange for their family’s safety? Unable to shake the thought, she posed the hypothetical question to a pilot she worked with several days later. His response was not a reassuring one. “The look on his face terrified me because I knew he didn't have an answer,” Newman said. “And that's when I knew I had a book to write.”

Universal Studios has won the film rights to "Falling," the debut novel of former flight attendant T.J. Newman in a seven figure deal.

Falling is being described as Speed at 35,000 feet. The novel will follow the story of 140-plus passengers on a crowded flight from New York to L.A., who don’t know that a half-hour before takeoff, their pilot’s family was kidnapped. Now, in order for his family to live, the pilot must follow orders and crash their plane. While much of the story takes place in the air, there is also said to be a relentless FBI agent trying to save the family on the ground.