Jolie’s down under to direct ‘Unbroken’
Universal Pictures has announced that Angelina Jolie is in Sydney to direct the survival saga “Unbroken.” The film will tell the true story of Lou Zamperini, a World War II hero and track star who ran in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
The movie, to be released in December 2014, is based on Laura Hillenbrand’s book “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption,” which chronicles Zamperini’s life.
The former Olympian spent a harrowing 47 days afloat in the Pacific Ocean following the 1943 crash of his U.S. military plane. He spent the following two years as a prisoner of war after washing up behind Japanese enemy lines.
“Unbroken” will star Jack O’Connell as Zamperini. The screenplay is being fine-tuned by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Gaga to sing in YouTube awards show
YouTube is launching its own music awards and Lady Gaga will perform at the first-time event.
The Google Inc.-owned company announced Tuesday that Eminem and Arcade Fire will also perform at the YouTube Music Awards on Nov. 3. The awards will be presented at Pier 36 in New York City and will stream live online.
Actor Jason Schwartzman will be the host.
Singer engaged to Blue Jays catcher
The Band Perry singer Kimberly Perry is engaged to Toronto Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia.
The engagement, which was first reported by The Tennessean, was confirmed by the band’s publicist on Tuesday. Perry told the newspaper that she said “yes” to her boyfriend of more than a year on Monday night at the her parent’s house in Greeneville, Tenn.
Perry and her two younger brothers, Neil and Reid, are kicking off their world tour next month in Sweden.
80-year-old Aiello to pen memoir
Danny Aiello, the Oscar-nominated character actor, is eager to take on his latest role: author.
The burly, husky-voiced Aiello, who turned 80 in June, has a deal with Gallery Books for a memoir coming out in fall 2014. Gallery, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced Tuesday that the book would cover Aiello’s rise from gang fights in New York City to stardom for such movies as “Moonstruck,” “Do the Right Thing” and “The Purple Rose of Cairo.”
Aiello’s TV credits include the miniseries “The Last Don” and the ABC special “Family of Strangers,” for which he won an Emmy in 1981. MTV fans remember him as Madonna’s father in the video for “Papa Don’t Preach.”
The birthday bunch
Singer-songwriter Don McLean is 68. Fashion designer Donna Karan is 65. Photographer Annie Leibovitz is 64. Singer-actor Sting is 62. Actress-talk show host Kelly Ripa is 43. Singer Tiffany is 42. Gospel singer Mandisa (“American Idol”) is 37.