From
Deadline
By MIKE FLEMING JR. | Tuesday December 18, 2012 @ 9:19pm EST
EXCLUSIVE:
Universal Pictures and Walden Media are in final negotiations with
Angelina Jolie to direct
Unbroken, the unbelievable story of Olympian-turned-WWII POW
Louis Zamperini.
The project, which Universal has developed for going on 55 years, is
closer than ever to becoming a reality. Matthew Baer and Erwin Stoff are
producing and Mick Garris is exec producer.
For Jolie, this will mark her second film as director after she made her debut on
In The Land Of Blood And Honey.
This will be her first directing outing on a major studio film. It’s
easy to imagine that the world’s biggest female star gets whatever she
wants, but I’m told that she campaigned hard for the film against a
number of other directors. Universal execs were very impressed with her
sophisticated treatment of difficult subject matter. Her detailed take
on Zamperini won her this job.
“In
her life and in her work, Angelina has embraced stories and causes
involving great struggle and triumph over tremendous odds and the basic
human condition,” Adam Fogelson and Donna Langley said in a statement.
“She has a real ability to illustrate the strength in human spirit which
will be essential in telling Lou’s story of survival and great
heroism.”
The film has a new script draft by
Gladiator and
Les Miserables co-writer William Nicholson, who rewrote an earlier draft by Richard LaGravanese. The script is based on
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, the book by
Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand which has been on The New York Times bestseller list for over 108 straight weeks.
“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,” Jolie said. “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.”
For my part, I have been obsessed with Zamperini since I saw a
segment on his ordeal broadcast during the 1998 Winter Olympics in
Nagano, Japan. Zamperini was there to run with the Olympic torch,
covering ground not far from where he spent an unimaginably brutal
stretch in a Japanese prison camp during WWII. That is only a small part
of Zamperini’s tale.
A
troubled and rambunctious Depression era kid, Zamperini found his
stride as a track prodigy who was the youngest member of the U.S. team
that traveled to Berlin for the 1936 Olympics. He didn’t medal, but
turned in such a blazing final lap that Hitler asked to meet him. The
expectation was that Zamperini would be a favorite to win a medal in the
1940 Olympics scheduled for Tokyo. Unfortunately, those games were
canceled because of WWII. When Zamperini landed in Japan, he was wearing
the uniform of an Air Force bombardier.
After his aircraft went down in the Pacific during a rescue mission,
Zamperini and two other crew mates survived on a raft in the hot sun for
47 days, battling hunger, thirst and sharks. It got worse when they
were caught by the Japanese Navy. That started a terrifying term of
captivity at the hands of brutal Japanese guards who threatened to
behead Zamperini, and who beat him brutally. One sadistic guard in
particular exulted in trying to break Zamperini, but he could never do
it. And by the time Zamperini returned to Japan and carried that torch,
he’d forgiven his brutal captor–known as The Bird–and even offered to
meet him to forgive him in person. The man refused.
The studio first bought Zamperini’s rights back in the 1950s, when Tony Curtis was eager to play Zamperini as his followup to
Spartacus.
Few movies gestate as long as this one, but it’s clear from
Hillenbrand’s remarkable book that it was wise to wait. Zamperini had a
lot of work to do to make himself whole again after enduring an ordeal
that would break even the strongest of men. The unsung hero in the
formation of this movie is Baer, the producer who has been struggling
for 14 years to keep a promise to Zamperini. The project gained steam
after Hillenbrand’s book was published and gave Zamperini’s story new
urgency.
Jolie will oversee a final draft and then there is casting and a
tough production schedule, but this movie should find its way into
production next year. It’s co-financed by Universal and Walden, whose
CEO Michael Bostick called Zamperini “one of history’s most incredible
and inspiring stories.”
Zamperini turns 96 in January, and with the passion that Jolie and
Universal now have for this story, he should have the opportunity to be
part of its production and hopefully to see
Unbroken on the screen. Jolie’s repped by UTA for directing and attorney Robert Offer.
From
Amazon
Book Description
Release Date: November 16, 2010
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.
From
filmschoolrejects
By
Kate Erbland on December 19, 2012
After completing her feature directorial debut with 2011′s Bosnian War-set drama,
In the Land of Blood and Honey, multi-hyphenate
Angelina Jolie has been mum on what her next directing gig will be (though we did get those hilarious rumors that she was on deck to helm
Fifty Shades of Grey), so it does come as a bit of a surprise that we’re first catching wind of her probable next project, an adaptation of
Laura Hillenbrand‘s bestselling
“Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption” via
press release. Curiouser still is the fact that the release only says
Jolie is “in talks” to direct the film, as such official announcements
are usually reserved for, well, more
official announcements. What does that mean? Yeah, this is probably a done deal.
From
The Playlist
Francis Lawrence Out, Angelina Jolie In To Direct WWII Film 'Unbroken'
NEWS BY KEVIN JAGERNAUTH
DECEMBER 18, 2012 10:52 PM
This fall, Francis Lawrence suddenly got very busy. Not only is the director helming "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," he locked himself in for the final two movies of the franchise, parts one and two of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay." This effectively means he's busy with the series right through to the end of 2015, which means that the handful of projects he'd been linked to, some of those are going to fall by the wayside. And indeed, one of them has, but it's been picked up by a very big name.
Angelina Jolie is getting ready to follow up with her feature debut "In The Land Of Blood And Honey" with another wartime true story in "Unbroken," that was originally slated for Lawrence back at the beginning of 2011. Based on "Seabiscuit" writer Laura Hillenbrand's bestseller "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption," the film will tell the amazing story of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympian who endured unbelievable hardship while a Japanese POW during WWII. He was subjected to medical experiments, slave labor, and brutal beatings and became the target of one sadistic guard in particular, Mutsuhiro Watanabe, whose goal it was to break Zamperini. The athlete endured his harsh punishment right though until the end of the war, but the lingering effects were still felt. He routinely had terrifying nightmares, suffered alcoholism and on the verge of losing everything, he found God and forgave his captors, even traveling to Japan to forgive them in person (though Watanabe refused to meet him).
The decades in the making of movie, that is set up at Universal, now has a script from William Nicholson ("Les Miserables," "Gladiator") who took the first draft by Richard LaGravanese over the finish line. Jolie, who apparently campaigned for the movie and beat out some other directors who wanted the gig, will do a pass on the script, and then start work on it, with production aiming to start next year. This is a big leap for Jolie, whose 'Blood And Honey' was a smaller scale indie venture, while this will clearly be on a much larger canvas. But it sounds like the kind of thing that can be a homerun if done right, and no doubt Jolie is preparing hard. So we'll keep an eye on this, but it looks like directing wasn't just a one-off lark for Jolie. [Deadline]
From
THR
7:33 PM PST 12/18/2012 by Aaron Couch
The film tells the story of Olympian and
war veteran Louis Zamperini, who survived on a raft for weeks after a
plane crash and later was captured by the Japanese.
Angelina Jolie is in talks to direct the World War II drama
Unbroken for Universal Pictures and Walden Media.
The film is an adaptation of the 2010 book by
Laura Hillenbrand (
Seabiscuit: An American Legend) and tells the story of Olympic athlete and Air Force officer
Louis Zamperini,
who survived a plane crash during World War II and clung to life on a
raft for 47 days. He was captured by the Japanese and served hard time
in a POW camp.
PHOTOS: 11 Biggest Book-to-Big Screen Adaptations of the Last 25 Years
Hillenbrand’s book spent 108 on the
New York Times best-seller list, including 14 weeks at No. 1.
“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,” Jolie said in a statement. “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.”
The news was announced by Universal Pictures chairman
Adam Fogelson and co-chairman
Donna Langley and Walden Media CEO
Michael Bostick.
“In her life and in her work, Angelina has embraced stories and
causes involving great struggle and triumph over tremendous odds and the
basic human condition,” said Fogelson and Langley in a joint statement.
“She has a real ability to illustrate the strength in human spirit
which will be essential in telling Lou’s story of survival and great
heroism.”
PHOTOS: Gillian Flynn and Reese Witherspoon, Stephenie Meyer and 'The Host' Cast: Authors With Their Stars
The latest draft of the script was written by
William Nicholson (
Elizabeth: The Golden Age,
Gladiator,
Les Miserables), with an earlier draft having been written by
Richard LaGravenese.
Matthew Baer and
Erwin Stoff are producing with
Mick Garris serving as executive producer.
Jolie made her directorial debut with 2011’s
In the Land of Blood and Honey. This would be her first time helming a film for a major studio. Jolie is represented by UTA for directing and attorney
Robert Offer.
Nicholson is represented by CAA and in the U.K. by The Agency. His attorney is
Alan Wertheimer.
From
Comingsoon
Source:
Universal Pictures
December 18, 2012
Universal Pictures and Walden Media today announced that Academy
Award�-winning actress, director and producer Angelina Jolie is in talks
to direct
Unbroken
for Universal Pictures. The film, which is being co-financed and
co-produced by Universal and Walden Media, will be based on the
New York Times
bestselling book �Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival,
Resilience, and Redemption� by Laura Hillenbrand (�Seabiscuit: An
American Legend�). The announcement was made by Universal Pictures
Chairman Adam Fogelson and Co-Chairman Donna Langley and Walden Media
Chief Executive Officer, Michael Bostick.
Fogelson, Langley with President & COO Ron Meyer
Originally published by Random House in 2010, the book follows the
incredible life story of Olympian and war hero Louis Zamperini who,
along with two other crewmen, 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 book has sat atop the
New York Times bestseller list for more than 108 consecutive weeks, fourteen of those at number one. It was also the winner of the
Los Angeles Times Book of the Year Award for Nonfiction.
"In her life and in her work, Angelina has embraced stories and causes
involving great struggle and triumph over tremendous odds and the basic
human condition," said Fogelson and Langley. "She has a real ability to
illustrate the strength in human spirit which will be essential in
telling Lou�s story of survival and great heroism."
Added Bostick, "We're thrilled that Angelina will bring this epic story
to the big screen. Lou's is one of history's most incredible and
inspiring stories, and we are excited to partner with such a passionate
filmmaker to share it with audiences all over the world."
A celebrated artist, Jolie has gathered Oscar�, Golden Globe and Screen
Actors Guild awards, winning an Academy Award� for Best Supporting
Actress in 2000 for
Girl, Interrupted.
Unbroken marks Jolie's second turn behind the camera, after her critically acclaimed directorial debut in 2011's
In the Land of Blood and Honey, and her first time directing a major studio film.
"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," said Jolie. "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.�
Frequent Universal Pictures collaborator William Nicholson (
Elizabeth: The Golden Age,
Gladiator,
Les Mis�rables)
wrote the latest draft of the screenplay and an earlier draft was
written by Richard LaGravenese. Matthew Baer and Erwin Stoff will
produce with Mick Garris serving as executive producer. Chief Executive
Officer, Michael Bostick and Senior Vice President of Production Amanda
Morgan-Palmer, will oversee the project on behalf of Walden Media.
Universal Pictures Co-President of Production, Peter Cramer and Vice
President of Production, Kristin Lowe will oversee the project on behalf
of Universal.
From
LATimes
Angelina Jolie at the 84th annual Academy Awards.
( Al Seib / February 26, 2012)
By Nicole Sperling
December 18, 2012, 9:00 p.m.
Angelina Jolie is in talks to direct her first studio movie, "Unbroken," for Universal Pictures and Walden Media, Universal said Tuesday.
Based on the bestselling book by Laura Hillenbrand ("Seabiscuit"),
"Unbroken" centers on 1936 Olympian Louis Zamperini, who, along with two
other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane
crash in
World War II, only to be caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.
Published in 2010, the book sat atop the New York Times bestseller
list for 108 weeks. It won the Los Angeles Times book of the year award
for nonfiction.
The project marks Jolie's second directorial effort. She tackled the politically fraught indie
"In the Land of Blood and Honey," a love story set against the backdrop of the Bosnian war, last year.
"In her life and in her work, Angelina has embraced stories and
causes involving great struggle and triumph over tremendous odds and the
basic human condition," said Universal Chairman Adam Fogelson and
co-Chairman Donna Langley. “She has a real ability to illustrate the
strength in human spirit which will be essential in telling Lou’s story
of survival and great heroism.”
According to press reports, Jolie, who has served as a goodwill ambassador for the
United Nations, had to fight against several other directors for the job.
"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," she said in a statement.
"Les Miserables" screenwriter William Nicholson (
"Gladiator") wrote the most recent draft of the screenplay.
December 22, 2011 | 6:30
pm
This
season is rife with celebrities taking a turn in the director's chair.
George Clooney helmed a drama ("The Ides of March"). So did Madonna
("W.E.") and Angelina Jolie ("In the Land of Blood and Honey").
But
while Clooney and Madonna express a desire to direct again soon, don't
expect a quick reprise from Jolie. The "Salt" star makes her
directorial debut with this weekend's Balkan war drama. Jolie also wrote
and produced the film, which was inspired by her goodwill missions to
the region and for which she conducted extensive research with
journalists and victims. But the A-lister will be very picky about what
she directs next -- if she directs at all.
"I love political
subject matter, international work where I learn about other countries
and foreign affairs," Jolie told 24 Frames. "I don't know if I would be
interested in directing something where I wasn’t forced to get a huge
education."
In fact, she added, "I still am shy about the idea of
whether I would ever do this again," citing the intensity of the
workload and the responsibility.
"Blood and Honey" centers on a
Bosnian Muslim woman named Ajla (Zana Marjanovic) and her Serbian army
boyfriend Danijel (Goran Kostic). The two are together in 1991, before
war breaks out in Bosnia, and then find themselves on opposite sides,
with Danijel actually in charge of guarding the rape camp where Ajla is
imprisoned.
Jolie said she has tentatively dipped into other
potential filmmaking subjects. She acknowledged that she "half-wrote" a
script about Afghanistan but said that nobody's read it. "I don't even
think it's good," she said. "Maybe I'll dig it out, but I don't have the
confidence yet to start even thinking in that way."
Jolie shot
two versions of "Blood," in English and in Slavic languages, over a
scant 41 days in Hungary and Bosnia. She tackled much of it on her own,
though she did have veteran Hollywood producer Graham King and Bosnian
producer Edin Sarkic in her corner. (More on the film in The Times
shortly.)
Now that she's done, the celeb -- who, with six films
between 2007 and 2010, has been plenty busy in recent years in front of
the camera -- has a full acting plate again. She's expected to shoot a
dramatic thriller directed by Luc Besson this spring, with a Ridley
Scott project and potential Kay Scarpetta and Maleficent roles possibly
not far behind.
Still, she said she didn’t miss performing this
time around. "I loved not acting. I loved it," Jolie said. "When you get
to shine the spotlight on someone who's doing the job 10 times better
thanyou can imagine doing it yourself, it's great. It's like 'OK, I'm
not needed here.'"
From
Variety
Baer, Stoff to produce Zamperini story for Universal, Walden
Jolie
Angelina Jolie is in negotiations to direct "Unbroken," the Lou Zamperini story, for Universal and Walden Media. Matthew
Baer and Erwin Stoff are producing the story of Zamperini, a track star
who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and went on to fight in WWII
as an Air Force bombardier. He became a POW after he crashed in the
Pacific during a rescue mission and survived on a raft for 47 days.
Project,
to be co-financed by Universal and Walden, has been in development
since the mid 1950s. For Jolie, the directing gig will be her second
following "In the Land of Blood and Honey."
Studio bought rights
early last year to "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival,
Resilience and Redemption" by "Seabiscuit" author Laura Hillenbrand.
Walden came on to the project in June 2011 with Francis Lawrence
attached to direct at that point from Richard LaGravanese's adaptation.
The
current script has been re-written by "Les Miserables" scribe William
Nicholson. Zamperiini is still alive at the age of 95.
News of Jolie's attachment was first reported by the Deadline.com site.
"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," Jolie said in a statement. "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."
Universal
originally began development of the Zamperini story in 1956 but was not
ever able to bring the pic to the big screen. The studio optioned an
autobiography from Zamperini in 1956 with the intention of Tony Curtis
starring. It set up a project with Nicolas Cage attached to star and
produce along with Brillstein-Grey in 1998 and hired Neil Tolkin four
years later to rewrite the biopic.
Project was dubbed "Iron Man"
at that point, a nickname given Zamperini for withstanding torture
during his internment by a vicious guard nicknamed "The Bird." In 2003,
Brad Pitt's Plan B came on produce with Universal and Cage's Saturn
Films on "Lou Zamperini" and attached Antoine Fuqua to direct.
Mick
Garris is executive producer on "Unbroken." Michael Bostick and Amanda
Morgan-Palmer will oversee the project for Walden and Peter Cramer and
Kristin Lowe will oversee for Uni.
Jolie is represented by UTA
for directing and attorney Robert Offer. Nicholson is represented by CAA
and in the U.K. by The Agency. His attorney is Alan Wertheimer.
From CinemaBlend
published: 2012-12-19 11:41:24
Author:
Sean O'Connell
Angelina Jolie dipped her toes into the directing pool for 2011’s
In the Land of Blood and Honey,
a harrowing love story between a Bosnian and a Serbian set during times
of war. Though the process was grueling for Jolie (for various
reasons), like most directors, once she got a taste for filmmaking,
she’s unable to stop … and her latest project is starting to take shape.
It’s also comforting, if that’s the right word, to hear that Jolie isn’t
going after softer material with her sophomore effort. Universal
Pictures announced that she will helm
Unbroken, an adaptation of
Laura Hillenbrand’s book about a near-impossible story of survival. Set
during World War II, the narrative tracks Olympian and war hero Louis
Zamperini, who struggles to survive on a raft for 47 days after a
vicious plane crash. Just when you thought things couldn’t get much
worse, Zamperini is picked up by the Japanese Navy … and then tossed
into a prisoner of war camp.
The book spent 108 consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller
list, and has collected multiple literary awards, including Book of the
Year Award for Nonfiction from the Los Angeles Times. Jolie spoke of the
book, saying, “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.”
Universal now just needs to lock down Jolie’s production schedule. She
has nothing on the docket for 2013 in terms of movie releases, though I
believe she has finished Disney’s
Maleficent and can record dialogue for
Kung-Fu Panda 3 in between directing tasks on
Unbroken. This might pus
Salt 2 further back off of her radar, but if
Unbroken lives up to its promise, that’s fine.
From
HitFix
Brutal tale of survival to serve as the actress' sophomore helming effort
Angelina Jolie is taking on another war-torn tale of survival.
The Oscar-winning megastar is in final talks with Universal and Walden
Media to direct "Unbroken," a biopic of Olympian-turned-war-hero
Louis Zamperini. Based on the bestselling 2010 book "
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival,
Resilience and Redemption" by Laura Hillebrand, the film will tell the harrowing story of Zamperini's brutal internment in a Japanese prison camp during
WWII.
“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,” said Jolie in a statement. “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.”
Jolie will oversee development of a final script (the most recent
draft was penned by Oscar-nominated "Les Miserables" screenwriter
William Nicholson) before going into production on the film sometime
next year.
According to
Deadline, which got the exclusive, Universal purchased Zamperini's life
rights back in the 1950s, during which time Tony Curtis was interested
in starring as the real-life hero. However, it was only after the
publication and ensuing success of Hillebrand's book six decades later
that momentum on the long-dormant project ramped up once again.
Raised in Torrance, CA to Italian immigrant parents, Louis Zamperini set
records as a high-school track star and later competed at the 1936
Olympic Games in Berlin, where Adolf Hilter requested a special meeting
with him after being impressed with his lightning-quick final lap in the
5000 meters (Zamperini finished eighth overall).
With the outbreak of WWII frustrating his ambitions to compete in the
1940 Games in Tokyo, Zamperini enlisted in the U.S. Air Force the
following year. His ordeal began while on a rescue mission several
months later, when his plane experienced a mechanical failure and
crashed over the Pacific, killing eight of the eleven passengers aboard.
After enduring a shark-and-hunger-ravaged 47 days adrift with his two
surviving crew mates (one of whom died while at sea), Zamperini was
captured by the Japanese Navy and thrown in one of the country's
notorious prison camps, where he was brutally tortured for over three
years before gaining his freedom at war's end. Haunted by his
mistreatment at the hands of a sadistic prison guard named Mutsuhiro
"The Bird" Watanabe and suffering from severe post-traumatic stress
disorder, Zamperini became a born-again Christian after attending a
crusade led by televangelist Billy Graham, who later helped him to
establish a successful career as a motivational speaker.
Astonishingly enough, Zamperini may actually live to see his story play out on the big screen - he turned 96 earlier this year.
Jolie made her directorial debut on last year's Bosnian war drama "In
the Land of Blood and Honey," which scored mixed reviews and failed to
catch on with audiences despite her considerable name value (the film
barely managed $300K in its theatrical release). She'll next be seen in
Disney's revisionist fairy tale retread "Maleficent" as the famed
"Sleeping Beauty" villainess of the title.
Dave Allocca/Startraksphotocom, Courtesy of Random House
@atrandom
