HUMAN SPIRIT TRIUMPHS IN UNBELIEVABLE TRUE STORY “UNBROKEN”

Press release

Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie directs and produces “Unbroken,” an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O'Connell of “300: Rise of an Empire”) who survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash during World War II—only to be caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a series of prisoner-of-war camps.

Photo courtesy of UIP

Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand's (“Seabiscuit”) enormously popular book, “Unbroken” brings to the big screen Louie Zamperini’s unbelievable and inspiring true story about triumph over tribulation and the resilient power of the human spirit.

Set against the backdrop of a world teetering on the brink of collapse in the Pacific Theater of World War II, “Unbroken” follows the journey of Louie from a carefree young scoundrel to a battle-weary-yet-defiant POW who becomes a beacon of hope for a nation mired in global conflict. His tale, but a single page in the voluminous story of the brothers-in-arms who fought and turned the tide of 20th-century history, is one of tragedy to triumph—epitomizing what it means to fight one’s way out of darkness and into the light.

Starring alongside O’Connell in this gripping saga are Domhnall Gleeson (“Harry Potter” series) and Finn Wittrock (HBO’s “The Normal Heart”) as Capt. Russell Allen “Phil” Phillips and Sgt. Francis “Mac” McNamara—the airmen with whom Zamperini endured perilous weeks adrift in the open Pacific. Playing the fellow military men who find an unexpected camaraderie during their time in the air or in their difficult POW internments together are Garrett Hedlund (“TRON: Legacy”) as Cmdr. John Fitzgerald, Jai Courtney (“Divergent”) as Hugh “Cup” Cuppernell, John Magaro (“The Box”) as Frank Tinker, Luke Treadaway (“Clash of the Titans”) as Miller and Ross Anderson (“The Silent Storm”) as Blackie. In his English-language feature debut, Japanese actor Miyavi portrays the merciless camp guard Cpl. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, known to the men he ruled over as “The Bird.”

In bringing Unbroken to the screen, Jolie leads an accomplished behind-the-scenes crew that includes 11-time Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins (“Skyfall”), production designer Jon Hutman (“Something’s Gotta Give”), editors Tim Squyres (“Life of Pi”) and Oscar® winner William Goldenberg (“Argo”), costume designer Louise Frogley (“Quantum of Solace”) and composer Alexandre Desplat (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”).

The screenplay for Unbroken is by Oscar® winners Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”) and Richard Lagravanese (HBO’s “Behind the Candelabra”) and William Nicholson (“Les Misérables”).

“Unbroken” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.