Washington, March 21 : A forgotten 1982 comedy, which starred Angelina Jolie in her first movie role, is set for release 17 years after it was made.

Director Hal Ashby had made the film Lookin' To Get Out when Jolie was just a four years old kid.

The actress appeared alongside her Oscar-winner father Jon Voight in the film. However, her part was cut and the film only had a limited release.

According to reports, Ashby edited the film again before his death in 1988.

His family and Voight are said to have worked tirelessly to get the new film a release.

"We had all sorts of drama in the making of it and in the final stages, Hal was not able to finish the film, so there was some damage done to the film and it came out in a crippled form. Unfortunately, nobody saw the film in a proper state," Contactmusic quoted Voight, who also co-wrote the film, as saying.

Voight did not know that the film had been re-edited, and handed the finished product to film archivists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

It was only when he was approached by Ashby''s biographer Nick Dawson two years ago that he realised the existence of the director''s cut.

Dawson introduced Voight to Ashby's daughter Lee Ashby McManus, whom the director never met.

Lee told the actor that Lookin'' To Get Out was her favourite film, as she felt sure that Jolie''s role at the end of the movie was based on her.

Voight told BlogTalkRadio.com, "She said, ''I think the little girl at the end, who was played by Angelina Jolie... was me.'' I thought about it and I said, ''It is very possible it was you.'' I remember discussions we had and it was supposed to be a little boy, and Hal wanted a little girl."

Voight is glad that the film will finally be seen as his director friend intended.

"It''s a big deal to me... I like this film very, very much," he said.

The director''s cut of Lookin'' To Get Out, which also features Ann Margret and Rocky star Burt Young, will debut at the Sarasota Film Festival in Florida in April, ahead of its DVD release on June 20. (ANI)