Garrett Hedlund Joins Angelina Jolie's UNBROKEN

Angelina Jolie has found her second leading man.

After a months-long casting search, Variety reports that Garrett Hedlund has officially signed on to join Jack O'Connell in Jolie's upcoming film UNBROKEN.

Based on The New York Times bestselling book "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand ("Seabiscuit: An American Legend"), Unbroken is set to begin production later this month. Jolie, who is joined on the project by fellow producers Matthew Baer (City by the Sea) and Erwin Stoff (The Day the Earth Stood Still), has been a fierce champion of bringing this incredible story of Louis "Louie" Zamperini's bravery and heroism to the big screen. Joining the behind-the-scenes crew are an accomplished team, led by ten-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall), who comes aboard as director of photography, and Jon Hutman (In the Land of Blood and Honey), who reteams with Jolie as the film's production designer.

Hedlund will take on the role of "the leader of the prisoners at the camp where Zamperini is being held," while Jack O'Connell will play Zamperini.

Unbroken marks Jolie's second turn behind the camera, after her critically acclaimed directorial debut, 2011's Golden Globe Award-nominated In the Land of Blood and Honey. The project has a long history with the studio, which first acquired the rights to tell the life story of Zamperini in 1957 and optioned the rights to Hillenbrand's book in December 2010. Jolie was attached to direct in December 2012. Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men) rewrote the screenplay from earlier drafts by William Nicholson (LES MISERABLES) and Richard LaGravenese (HBO's Behind the Candelabra). Mick Garris and David Crockett serve as executive producers.

Photo by Walter McBride