Angelia Jolie's Faith-Driven 'Unbroken' A Surprising Hit at the Box Office (Watch Trailer Here)

By Timothy Yap Jan 02, 2015 12:02 AM EST

Angelina Jolie's brand new movie "Unbroken" was a surprising hit when it came in at #2 at the Box Office during its opening over the Christmas weekend. The movie earned an astounding $47.3 million in its debut week. The World War II epic is Jolie's second directorial effort starring Jack O'Connell as Louis Zamperini.

The movie is one of the most inspiring movie ever made in a while. It revolves around the story of faith and determination. Based on Laura Hillenbrand's book of the same name, the film reveals Zamperini's grit and determination through epic challenges. As a boy, Louis "Louie" Zamperini is always in trouble, but with the help of his older brother, he turns his life around and channels his energy into running, later qualifying for the 1936 Olympics.

When World War II breaks out, Louie enlists in the military. After his plane crashes in the Pacific, he survives an incredible 47 days adrift in a raft, until his capture by the Japanese navy. Sent to a POW camp, Louie becomes the favorite target of a particularly cruel prison commander.

"Unbroken" beat out other new releases at the box office this weekend including "The Gambler" and "Into the Woods." However, the film did not topple the newly released "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," which earned $41.4 million over the holiday weekend.

"At this time of year stories about faith and how strong the human spirit is do huge numbers," Jeff Bock, an analyst for Exhibitor Relations, said of "Unbroken," according to Variety.

"It's an inspirational film that played to all the quadrants," Universal Studio's distribution chief Nikki Rocco explained to Variety. "The studio did an incredible marketing job telling the story of this hero."