Amid her divorce battle with estranged husband Brat Pitt, Angelina Jolie is apparently concentrating her efforts on new acting projects. Recent reports reveal the actress is in talks to play the role of Air Force Maj. Mary Jennings Hegar in a book adaptation based on a real-life story, titled "Shoot Like a Girl."
The actress is reportedly eyeing a starring role where she will play as Maj. Hegar, who served in the U.S. Air Force in a 2009 time setting. The story is based on an upcoming memoir, "Shoot Like a Girl: One Woman's Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and on the Home Front," which is yet to be released in March 2017.
Jolie taking starring roles has been rested for years. She has even recently dropped a lead role in upcoming film, "Murder on the Orient Express." The Brangelina divorce drama also pulled the plug on her "Africa" directing project, a movie which Pitt was supposed to star in.
As Fox News noted about the project, "This movie has been a nightmare to get off the ground from the beginning. Until the last few weeks Angelina was resolute in her intent to get it made but now she doesn't want to direct it at all."
Hegar's Memoir: The Synopsis
The war drama tells the true story of Hegar in her journey to Medevac, Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot, who joins the Combat Search and Rescue team that has saved hundreds of lives back in its time setting. Hegar was also noted to work with the Civil Search and Rescue missions in California.
Back in 2009 in a Medevac mission, the helicopter that Hegar was piloting was shot down, testing her faith, courage and valor, which led her to act and save the lives of her crew together with several patients. Her act of bravery then earned her the Purple Heart, an award given to those U.S. military servants who might have been killed or wounded.
Years after her heroism was recognized, Hegar filed a lawsuit in 2012 in a protest against the Secretary of Defense. The Combat Exclusion Policy then passed by the sector has kept all female officers from joining real field combat roles. The policy was then repealed a year after the start of the protest (2013) as it was declared unconstitutional.
The memoir is yet to be released, but the movie adaptation has already started production stage, with Sony and The Gotham Group set to develop the film. Frank Baldwin is set write the movie script while the director is yet to be confirmed. Some reports claimed the production plans to complete the cast first before they lock in the movie director.
