Editorial Staff
A sequel to Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken” is in the works, with the film’s original producer Matt Bauer and “God’s Not Dead” helmer Harold Kronk.
Mike Elliot (“Halloween II”) is also onboard to produce the film, “Unbroken : Path to Redemption” with Pure Flix set to distribute.
Story, based on the second half of the book by Laura Hillenbrand, will star Samuel Hunt (“Chicago P.D.”) will play Louis Zamperini while Merritt Patterson (“The Royals”) will play his wife Cynthia.
Following the allied victory in World War II, the stand-alone sequel tells the story of famed Olympic athlete and prisoner of war Louie Zamperini’s experiences returning to the United States. After Louie was freed from captivity in Japan, he returned to California and tried to resume his life, marrying the love of his life, Cynthia Applewhite. Wrestling with untreated Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and suffering constant nightmares about his savage merciless camp guard—Cpl. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, known to the men he ruled over as “The Bird”—Louie fell into alcoholism, depression and despair. During fall1949, Cynthia convinced Louie to attend a Billy Graham crusade. Deeply affected by Graham’s preaching, Louie made a commitment to Christ that restored his faith. He quit drinking, found that his nightmares had vanished and began the extraordinary healing process of forgiving his captors.
“Before PTSD even had a name or diagnosis, far too many World War II veterans like Louie battled this invisible pain,” said Glenn Ross, General Manger and Executive Vice President, Universal 1440 Entertainment. “Unbroken : Path to Redemption shines a powerful light on their struggles and how Louie became a beacon of hope to us all.”
Written by Richard Friedenberg (“A River Runs Through It”) and Kenneth Hixon (“City by the Sea”), the “Unbroken” sequel starts filming today.
