The Taking of Pelham 123 is a 2009 American action thriller film directed by Tony Scott from a screenplay by Brian Helgeland. It is the third film adaptation of the John Godey novel of the same name (following the 1974 theatrical film and 1998 television film). The film is about a train dispatcher (Denzel Washington), who is pressed into the role of negotiator after a criminal (John Travolta) hijacks a subway car of passengers. The film was released on June 12, 2009. It grossed $150 million against a production budget of about $100 million and received mixed reviews from critics.