Trailer for Unbroken Starring Jack O'Connell, Garrett Hedlund and Jai Courtney

Posted on July 11, 2014

Universal has released the first trailer Unbroken, the second film Angelina Jolie has directed. The film is based on the true story of Olympian track star and World War II veteran Louis Zamperini. The film is also based on the biography of Zamperini's life by Laura Hillebrand called Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption.

The film stars Jack O'Connell as Louis Zamperini. Jai Courtney, Domhall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund, Alex Russell and Maddalena Ischiale also star. The screenplay was written by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film tells the story of a true American hero. Zamperini's childhood was where he learned never to give up in difficult situations and how to run. Running got him to the 1936 Olympics at the age of 19, where he ran the 5000 meter race. Adolf Hitler himself presided over the games and met Zamperini after his race ended.

At the age of 24 Zamperini enlisted in what is now called the U.S. Air Force. He was a bomber pilot whose plane crashed in the Pacific. He survived a month and a half at sea only to be captured by the Japanese. He spent two years in a POW camp where he was endured a great deal of abuse. He was released in 1945 and later went back to Japan to forgive his captors.

Angelina said that she had to really pitch hard to get the directing gig on the film, but the Universal execs finally gave her the reins. She worked closely with Zamperini, who just passed away at the age of 97. The trailer looks fantastic, it will be interesting to see how Angelina does with her first big budget film. The film opens on Christmas Day, 2014. Here is the trailer:

ANGELINA JOLIE