Angelina Jolie to direct World War II hero's story

The Oscar winner moved behind the camera to work on hardhitting 2011 movie In the Land of Blood and Honey, about a romance between a Serbian soldier and a Bosnian woman during the 1990s war in the troubled region.

The movie received critical acclaim, and now Jolie is set to work on another emotive subject for her second time as a filmmaker.

Unbroken is based on Laura Hillenbrand's book about 95-year-old Zamperini, a long distance runner who appeared at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany and caught the attention of of Adolf Hitler. After World War II was declared, he enlisted in the Army, only to be captured by the Japanese and held as a prisoner-of-war.

A statement from Jolie reads, "I read Laura Hillenbrand's brilliant book, and I was so moved by Louie Zamperini's heroic story, I immediately began to fight for the opportunity to make this film. Louie is a true hero and a man of immense humanity, faith and courage. I am deeply honored to have the chance to tell his inspiring story."

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