Fresh off the first reviews starting to trickle out, Universal has released a collection of new Unbroken images from director Angelina Jolie’s adaptation of the bestselling non-fiction book that show the physical transformation of the principal cast. The film tells the true story of Louis Zamperini (Jack O’Connell), a former Olympian and WWII bombardier whose plane crashed at sea in 1943. Zamperini and two crewmates floated adrift for 47 days and 2000 miles, eventually finding themselves caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a POW camp where Zamperini was targeted by a sadistic overseer. While the initial reviews are somewhat positive, there are some reservations about Jolie’s execution of the story and handling of Zamperini’s arc; this doesn’t appear to be the be-all, end-all Oscar heavyweight that some were predicting. Regardless, Zamperini’s story is undeniably incredible and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how it’s portrayed onscreen.
Check out the new Unbroken images after the jump. The film also stars Miyavi, Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund, Finn Wittrock, Jai Courtney, and Alex Russell. Unbroken opens in theaters on December 25th.
Images via Universal Pictures.
Here’s the official synopsis for Unbroken:
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) 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. Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s (“Seabiscuit: An American Legend”) enormously popular book, Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini’s unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit.