Angelina Jolie is unstoppable. Right after her directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey, comes the word that she’s attached to direct Unbroken, an adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand‘s book titled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.
Described as an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, and a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body & spirit, Hillenbrand’s book is actually a story of Lou Zamperini, man who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and went on to fight in WWII as an Air Force bombardier.
Along with two other crewmen Zamperini survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner of war camp.
The film will be co-financed and co-produced by Universal and Walden Media, and the current script has been re-written by Les Miserables scribe William Nicholson.
Here’s the official description of Hillenbrand’s book:
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will…
Well, like it or not, but Jolie definitely looks excited about this project. Here’s what she had to say about the whole thing:
I read Laura Hillenbrand’s brilliant book, and I was so moved by Louie Zamperini’s heroic story, I immediately began to fight for the opportunity to make this film. Louie is a true hero and a man of immense humanity, faith and courage. I am deeply honored to have the chance to tell his inspiring story.
We’ll keep an eye on Unbroken, make sure you stay tuned!
Angelina Jolie, Director
