Louis Zamperini, the U.S. Olympic track star and World War II hero whose remarkable survival story is the basis for the upcoming Angelina Jolie-directed movie Unbroken, has died at age 97.
Zamperini died Wednesday after a bout with pneumonia, his family said in a statement from Universal Pictures, which is releasing Unbroken in December.
“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,” the statement read. “His indomitable courage and fighting spirit were never more apparent than in these last days.”
The California native was the top American finisher in the 5,000-meter race at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and later joined the U.S. armed forces during World War II, serving as a bombardier in the Pacific theater. His plane crashed and he survived for 47 days on an inflatable raft before being captured and tortured by the Japanese, who held him for more than two years.
Zamperini’s story was told in the bestselling novel "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption," which was optioned for a feature film directed by Jolie.
“It is a loss impossible to describe,” Jolie said in the studio's statement. “We are all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him. We will miss him terribly.”
Zamperini will be played by Jack O’Connell (300: Rise of an Empire) in the film, which is likely to debut at the Toronto Film Festival this fall. By all accounts around Hollywood, it has the goods to be a major awards contender.
Zamperini had been set to be grand marshal at the Rose Bowl parade this Jan. 1. His wife, Cynthia Applewhite, died in 2001.