Hollywood producer Richard Saperstein has made movies inspired by the writing of Steven King and brought to life by actors such as Will Smith, John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson.

Next up, a movie that depicts a real-life hero whose story is tied to Erie and a pivotal U.S. victory, more than 200 years ago.

Saperstein, who made the movies "Hancock," "Se7en"and the upcoming "Cell," has announced plans to make "Perry's Luck," a feature film about Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie.

Saperstein, who hopes to begin filming in 2015, had been scheduled to visit Erie to tour the U.S. Brig Niagara and meet with its crew Tuesday, but he canceled his plans because of bad weather, said Ryan Whaley, a California-based spokesman for the project.

Whaley said the vision for the movie, which will be filmed in Erie, Buffalo, and on Lake Erie and its islands, is to create an epic in the tradition of "Master and Commander."

The idea for the movie, which Whaley called "a major motion picture," grew out of a love of the history of the War of 1812 shared by friends Mark Nixon, a native of Westfield, N.Y., and John Kuzdale, a lawyer and judge in Dunkirk, N.Y.

"This is a great story, one of the greatest never put to screen, and it's right here in our backyard," said Nixon, a longtime telephone company executive. "It's a guns-and-guts movie, with romance, tragedy, struggle. It's got a lot to it."

Nixon, who hopes to release the film in late 2016 or early 2017, said it has taken more than five years and multiple scripts to get to the point of hiring a Hollywood producer for the project.

"We figured we would be underway in two or three years. There is a big learning curve, but it's been a labor of love," he said. Nixon said he's eager to bring to life an important chapter in history that remains a source of mystery to most Americans.

"He (Perry) was almost a superhero," Nixon said. "It was almost like he had the hand of God behind him."

Nixon estimates it will take between $40 and $60 million to make the movie, which is expected to be filmed using real tall ships instead of computer-generated imagery.

Nixon, who said he's put up a substantial amount of his own money, said signing Saperstein, a well-known producer, should draw more backers to the project.

Erie and other communities involved in the filming figure to benefit, Nixon said.

"There is a term out there called film-induced tourism," he said. "They make these movies, and people want to come to the area. It puts the area on the map."

JIM MARTIN can be reached at 870-1668 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNmartin.