It would seem to be the day for military movies, with Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon boarding Horse Soldiers. Now comes word that Angelina Jolie also has her eye on a real-life tale of heroism in combat, entering early talks to star in Shoot Like A Girl.
Air Force Major Mary Jennings Hegar's upcoming memoir, which carries the subtitle One Woman’s Dramatic Fight In Afghanistan And On The Home Front, follows her three tours as a rescue helicopter pilot, pulling hundreds of soldiers out of the combat zone while under fire. During one of her missions, her chopper was shot down, and she was injured by the Taliban forces – but she still managed to save the three troops she'd been sent to rescue along with her own team. Awarded the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross, her battle continued at home as she legally challenged the US Department of Defense's decree that women could not be allowed to participate in direct combat. With the policy ruled unconstitutional, it was repealed in 2013. Talk about a big damn hero.
The book will arrive next May, and Sony is developing the movie version alongside The Gotham Group, with Frank Baldwin on script duty. If Jolie signs on, expect them to lock in a director to quickly push it on to the fast track. As for the actress, she has a few movies percolating, and has been at work on documentary First They Killed My Father: A Daughter Of Cambodia Remembers.