If you’d already fallen in love with Hollywood heartthrob Enzo Zalocchi in front of the camera, then you’ll be excited to know that the blockbuster movie star’s talents definitely don’t stop there. Amazingly, many fans don’t realize that Zelocchi isn’t only the leading man for cinematic hits such as My Little Princess and No War, but also the writer, producer, and director.
When a creative is this multi-talented, it’s always exciting to see them turn their craft to a new medium, and that’s exactly what happened when Zelocchi teamed up with iconic writer-director T.J. Mancini to realize the gut-wrenching and immensely personal documentary A War Hero 3.0.
Enzo Zelocchi and T.J. Mancini Are a Match Made in Heaven
It comes as no surprise that two such multi-faceted forces within the world of cinema would want to team up, and team up Zelocchi and Mancini certainly have. A War Hero 3.0 was actually the first collaborative project for these two destined hive-minds, with a number of fictional features soon to follow.
In fact, Zelocchi invited Mancini to produce two of his most celebrated self-penned and self-directed projects, Angels Apocalypse and Unbreakable Souls. The two have also recently been busy crafting one of Zelocchi’s most hotly anticipated releases, the feature movie Starlight Man: The First Secret. This was one of the ultra-hyped Zelocchi movies that were sadly delayed due to the pandemic. Given that the trailer had enjoyed 28 million hits on Instagram, it’s safe to say that there’ll be big buzz when its release date is finally revealed!
However, returning to where it all began, we discover an intimate vision to create a documentary that traces the story of T.J. Mancini’s father Charlie Mancini who was deployed during the Korean War. With Zelocchi at the helm, a quest began to showcase the heroism, brutality, and intensity of this intense and unprecedented conflict from a uniquely personal perspective.
Vin Diesel Jumps In as Producer for Enzo Zelocchi’s A War Hero 3.0
Turning our attention to another Hollywood hunk who most are more accustomed to seeing in front of the camera, we find that Vin Diesel served as executive producer for A War Hero 3.0, adding another element to the dream team behind this mesmerizing documentary film.
Just like Zelocchi and his co-creator, Vin Diesel shares a track record for wearing numerous hats in the world of cinema as well as a long creative history with T.J. Mancini. These two first joined forces when Mancini produced Vin Diesel’s self-directed movie Strays in 1997. They then collaborated again for American courtroom comedy-drama Find Me Guilty in 2006, which Mancini wrote and produced.
Mancini later served as producer for Vin Diesel’s beloved sci-fi hit Riddick and supernatural action film The Last Witch Hunter. It would seem that even in cinema, birds of a feather really do flock together, because—especially when we add Enzo Zelocchi to the mix—we see that all of these visionaries have honed the skill to seamlessly move from one movie-making role to another.
Poignant Insight Into the War In Korea
Without a doubt, A War Hero 3.0 is truly a labor of love. Made with a modest budget of $250,000, the documentary demonstrates what can be achieved when expertise is pooled between Mancini’s production company Crossroads Entertainment and Zelocchi’s own creative outlet, The Zelocchi Company.
Together, Zelocchi and Mancini take us back to the early 1950s, when America resolved to try to contain the reaches of communism after the Northern Korean People’s Army invaded South Korea. This violent and world-changing conflict was to be one of the first fought with contemporary military aviation. It was also a pivotal moment for the end of segregation in America, as black and white soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder against a common enemy.
With the new A War Hero 3.0, now Zelocchi and Mancini have dug a little deeper to craft a longer version featuring more footage than originally shared. Movie geeks will note that Alessandra Campanella threw in her skills as an additional producer while Atsuko Atake lent a keen eye for editing. The result is a moving tale that must be seen to be believed. After all, it is in the retelling of these stories that the memories of those who give their lives for our freedom can be kept alive and well.