Japanese singer Miyavi boards Jolie`s `Unbroken` as villain

Los Angeles: Japanese singer Miyavi has boarded Angelina Jolie-directed true-story drama `Unbroken` to play the negative role of Mutsushiro Watanabe aka The Bird.

The Bird is given the task to break the spirit of Louis Zamperini`s spirit at the POW camp, reported Ace Showbiz. "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," Miyavi said. Based on Laura Hillenbrand`s 2010 best-selling book `Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption`, the movie follows the true story of real-life World War hero Zamperini during the time he became prisoner of war. Once an Olympic track star, Zamperini ended up taken hostage by the Japanese after the plane that he boarded crashed. He survived 47 days of enduring hunger and shark attacks, only to wash ashore behind the enemy lines. Jack O`Connell stars as Zamperini and Garrett Hedlund will play Commander John Fitzgerald, a fellow prisoner of war in the Japanese camp where Zamperini was held hostage. It is Jolie`s second directorial vehicle after her critically acclaimed debut with Bosnian war time love-story `In the Land of Blood and Honey`. The shooting is slated to take place soon in Australia. The film has set a December 25, 2014 release date. PTI