Latest in Louis Zamperini

EXCLUSIVE: A sequel of Unbroken is on the way from the film’s original producer Matt Baer and God’s Not Dead franchise director Harold Cronk which looks at the life of hero Louis Zamperini post WWII. The faith-based film — to be distributed by Pure Flix — is based on the second half of the book from author Laura…

Among the Hollywood notables who passed in 2014 is Louis Zamperini, who only recently became relevant to movie audiences with the release of his life story Unbroken, the Angelina Jolie-directed Universal Pictures film which stars Jack O’Connell and Takamasa Ishihara. Zamperini, who first made a movie deal for his…

Watch the video clip above as Universal executive Peter Cramer tells Deadline’s Mike Fleming about ‘Unbroken,’ the movie adaptation of a best-selling book about Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner turned flier turned Japanese POW. The book, by Laura Hillenbrand, made the film finally come together after decades of…

Jack O'Connell may be on the precipice of glory, but the 24-year-old is mindful of the journey ahead. While the British actor has racked up credits and acclaim across the pond (This Is England, Skins, Harry Brown) and drew raves for his turn as a volatile young inmate in this year's award-winning drama Starred Up…

Angelina Jolie had one key goal, I believe, in bringing Unbroken to the screen, and that was to do right by the remarkable life of Louis Zamperini. Simple as that. And that she has accomplished  in every way. This was clearly evident as the film got its local sendoff Sunday afternoon with multiple screenings for…

The Angelina Jolie-directed film Unbroken is one of the few Oscar season films we’ve not seen yet, but Universal Pictures has released another impressive trailer showing the incredible ordeal that Louis Zamperini endured after the Olympic track prodigy fell into the hands of Japanese tormenters in a prison camp in…

Universal has unveiled the first trailer for Angelina Jolie‘s Unbroken, the true story of World War II hero and former Olympic long distance runner Louis Zamperini. Unbroken tracks the life of the young Olympian, who enlisted in the Air Force after war broke out in 1941. After his plane went down in the Pacific…

What sad pre-holiday news: American Olympian track star and WWII hero Louis Zamperini passed away last night at age 97, just one day short of Independence Day. It’s somehow poignant that Zamperini’s shadow hovers over the July 4th holiday; it comes half a year before the Universal Pictures release of Unbroken, the Ange…

UPDATED: Louis Zamperini, the World War II hero and former Olympic long distance runner, has died. The subject of Angelina Jolie‘s upcoming sophomore directorial effort Unbroken, Zamperini was 97. Universal, which announced his passing this morning, had developed the Unbroken project for close to 55 years when it…

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures and director Angelina Jolie have found their villain for the Lou Zamperini tale Unbroken. Jolie has set Japanese guitarist and singer Miyavi to play the role of Mutsushiro Watanabe, known as "The Bird." That is the guard who made it his mission to break the spirit of Zamperini, and who…

EXCLUSIVE: After more than 54 years of trying, Universal Pictures is getting closer and closer to telling the unbelievable story of Olympian-turned-WWII POW Louis Zamperini in a feature film. Walden Media has just signed on to co-finance with Universal Pictures the screen adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand’s bestseller Un…

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures has acquired screen rights to Laura Hillenbrand’s bestselling new book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. The studio is in talks with Francis Lawrence to direct, and wants Crazy Heart helmer Scott Cooper to write the script. Lawrence, best known for…