Sensing the makings of a thought-provoking hit, TriStar has snapped up movie rights to Mary Jennings Hegar’s wartime memoir, Shoot Like A Girl: How One Woman’s War Against the Taliban Led to Her Victory Over the Department of Defense, with Angelina Jolie circling the title role – and that’s before Hegar’s work of nonfiction has even hit shelves.
Set for release in March of next year, Hegar’s memoir chronicles her story on the front lines of Afghanistan, serving three tours as a rescue helicopter pilot during the throes of the Iraq war. Hegar, now a decorated Air Force Major, earned the coveted Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross accolades for her service, but what really makes her story rather remarkable is the fact that all of this came after Hegar challenged the Combat Exclusion Policy, one designed to prevent women from being deployed in combat duty.
Labelling the system to be archaic and unconstitutional, Hegar’s victory over the Department of Defense is just as worthy of a feature film as her tour of duty, which ought to present a meaty, multi-faceted role to Angelina Jolie should the writer-director sign along the dotted line.
Following a stint in the voice booth for animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 3, Angelina Jolie has now lined up Maleficent 2 at Disney. Now word yet on when Shoot Like a Girl will be prepped and ready to deploy in front of the cameras – nor whether these negotiations will bear fruit – but we’ll keep you posted nonetheless.
