Dave McNary
Film Reporter
@Variety_DMcNary
Louis Zamperini, a World
War II hero whose life is the subject of the upcoming film “Unbroken,” died
from pneumonia in Los Angeles on July 2. He was 97.
Universal Pictures
released statements early Thursday from the Zamperini family and Angelina
Jolie, who directed the upcoming film. The movie is based on “Unbroken: A World
War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption” by Laura Hillenbrand.
Zamperini competed in the
1936 Berlin Olympics as a distance runner and went on to fight in WWII as a
U.S. Army Air Force bombardier; he became a prisoner of war after he survived a
crash in shark-infested waters in the Pacific.
“Having overcome
insurmountable odds at every turn in his life, Olympic runner and World War II
hero Louis Zamperini has never broken down from a challenge,” the family said
in a statement. “He recently faced the greatest challenge of his life with a
life-threatening case of pneumonia. After a 40-day long battle for his life, he
peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, leaving behind a
legacy that has touched so many lives. His indomitable courage and fighting
spirit were never more apparent than in these last days.”
Universal Pictures said in
its statement: “We are so profoundly sad
at this moment and all of our thoughts and prayers are with the Zamperini
family. Louis was truly one of a kind. He lived the most remarkable life, not
because of the many unbelievable incidents that marked his near century’s worth
of years, but because of the spirit with which he faced every one of them.”
Universal is releasing
“Unbroken” on Christmas Day.
Jolie said in her statement: “It is a loss impossible to describe. We are
all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him. We will
miss him terribly.”
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