Universal to Release Christian Edition of ‘Unbroken’

Universal Pictures will release a special edition “Legacy of Faith” DVD of the Angelina Jolie-directed film Unbroken on Tuesday that will be available exclusively at Christian outlets.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the special Christian edition of the DVD includes both the film and an additional 90 minutes of extra material that explores Louis Zamperini’s relationship with the Reverend Billy Graham and his embrace of Christianity following the horrors he experienced as a prisoner of war during World War II.

Zamperini’s turn toward faith makes up a significant part of the Laura Hillenbrand book on which the film was based. However, the movie’s producers left most of the Olympian’s post-World War II life on the cutting room floor.

The new material reportedly includes pictures and video footage of Zamperini and Graham from the 1950s and also includes interviews with Zamperini’s children, Luke Zamperini and Cynthia Zamperini Garris, and author Hillenbrand. A clip of some of the bonus footage has already been uploaded online, showing Zamperini returning to Japan to shake the hands of those who captured and tortured him, in a gesture of forgiveness.

“I loved the movie,” Luke Zamperini told the Hollywood Reporter. “It was beautiful and brutal at the same time. Angie got all the scenes right. But the biggest criticism we got was from people in the faith-based community who read the book and said, ‘Well, it left out the whole Billy Graham scene.'”

In an unusual move, the “Legacy of Faith” edition of the DVD will only be available at Christian outlets. Christian film production company Pure Flix has reportedly teamed up with Universal to distribute the film at Family Christian Stores, Mardel Christian Stores, Parable Christian Stores, and christianbook.com.

Luke Zamperini told THR that while “the Christian world has embraced Louis Zamperini’s story as one of their own,” he would like the “Legacy of Faith” DVD distributed in non-Christian stores so that it can reach a larger audience.