Angelina Jolie Directs ‘Unbroken’ A WWII Epic; Casts International Japanese Singer Miyavi As The Villain

Angelina Jolie will make her debut behind the camera with "Unbroken." The film is a survival epic set in World War II.

The film is based on a novel by Laura Hillenbrand, author of "Seabiscuit."  Joel and Ethan Coen wrote the most recent draft of the script, with earlier drafts written by William Nicholson and Richard LaGravenese.

From Deadline: "The movie  is a chronicle of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II. After running so compellingly in the final lap of his distance race in the 1936 Munich Olympics that Hitler asked to shake his hand, Zamperini was expected to bring home the gold with four more years of seasoning. The 1940 Olympics were scheduled to be held in Japan but all that fell apart in war. Zamperini instead arrived as a bombardier fighting in WWII. Sent on a rescue mission aboard a faulty aircraft, Zamperini and two other crewmen were the only survivors of a crash in the Pacific Ocean. After surviving in a raft for 47 days, the near-dead men were caught by the Japanese navy. And so began a POW ordeal that would have broken most men."

The curious  role of the villain known as "The Bird" was taken by International Japanese singer and guitarist Miyavi.  Miyavi might be a new face onscreen, but he is well known in international music circles for his unconventional guitar and singing skills.

Miyavi released his statement: "As a musician, I questioned whether I should take a break from my craft to pursue this role. After meeting Angie, it became clear to me that an underlying theme to this story is forgiveness. This resonated with me because that is exactly what I want express through my music. I look forward to taking on this challenge whole-heartedly."

The movie will be released by Universal on December 25, 2014.