Angelina Jolie stays close to Louis Zamperini in a new portrait of the fast friends. The pair met last winter when Angelina signed on to direct Unbroken, a film portraying Louis’ incredible life story.
Louis was a successful long distance runner who participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and then went on to enlist as an airman in the American Army Air Force. In 1942, he managed to survive being shot down, stranded at sea and imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp. Following the war, Louis turned to Christianity and became an inspirational speaker, and later forgave many of the guards who abused him during the war.
The co-workers, friends and Hollywood Hills neighbours have formed a very close bond through their Unbroken journey. As a source of inspiration, the 96-year-old gifted Angelina an important gold pendant — a souvenir from his time as an athlete.
“Like all readers of Laura’s book and all people who love and admire Louis, I am a fan,”; Angelina said. “It will be hard to make a film worthy of this great man. I am deeply honored to have the chance.”;
Unbroken will be adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s best-selling 2010 biography of the same name. The real-life story is slated to hit theatres late 2014.