Domhnall Gleeson is the latest actor to join the cast for a new World War II drama ‘Unbroken’, which is being directed by Angelina Jolie.
The film, Jolie’s second film as a director after ‘In the Land of Blood and Honey’ in 2011, tells the true story of Olympic track star and war hero Louis Zamperini.
The Irish actor, best known for his roles in ‘Never Let Me Go’, ‘Anna Karenina’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ will star opposite lead Jack O’Connell in the film.
The film follows Zamperini’s (Jack O’Connell) survival following a harrowing plane crash in the Pacific Ocean during World War II that saw him spending 47 days adrift in a life raft only to become a prisoner of war for two years in a Japanese prison camp.
Gleeson will play the role of Phil, who was also on the raft along with Zamperini.
Gleeson is currently starring alongside Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes) in Richard Curtis’ romantic comedy ‘About Time’ which will be released on 4th September. He will also star alongside Michael Fassbender in Lenny Abrahamson’s new comedy ‘Frank’.
Gleeson has won two IFTA awards; Best Supporting Actor for ‘Anna Karenina’ in 2013 and Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television for ‘When Harvey Met Bob’ in 2011.
The film, based on the best-selling Laura Hillenbrand novel, begins shooting in Australia in October and will be produced from a script by Oscar-winning writers, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen.
Universal Pictures has set a Christmas Day 2014 release date.
