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Juicy roles up for grabs in Unbroken, The Water Diviner

The casting search continues for key characters in Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken and Russell Crowe’s The Water Diviner.

Casting agent Nikki Barrett has advised agents she is seeking an Italian-speaking actor aged 38 – 44 for a supporting role in Unbroken, the true story of US Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini who was captured by the Japanese in WW2.

She's also looking for a youth aged 14 – 16 for another part in the Universal film which starts production on October 21, with Englishman Jack O’Connell as Zamperini, who was a member of the US track team in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

The studio has yet to officially confirm Australia as the location. IF understands Universal is waiting for the government to announce the production will get a chunk of the special $20 million grant for offshore production announced by the previous government.

Barrett is seeking a boy aged 9-12 and another aged 16-18 to play the sons of the lead character in The Water Diviner.

Scripted by Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios and set in 1919, the plot follows an Australian father who travels to Turkey to search for his sons who are missing after the battle of Gallipoli.

Crowe’s directing debut, the film will be produced by Troy Lum and Andrew Mason for Hopscotch Features and Keith Rodger of Crowe’s Fear Of God Films. Hopscotch Features has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures International Australia.

Shooting is due to start in Australia and Turkey in December.