Sean Penn will direct a film about the early life of a cop who was present for the Jan. 6 storming of the United States Capitol. Bradley Cooper is being eyed for the lead role, though the real life inspiration for the film has yet to be identified. The film is currently untitled and has been set up at Warner Bros. It is described as “an unexpected story about friendship,” which needs a little work as a marketing hook and seems like a clear attempt to minimize any future controversy.
To that end, insiders insist the film is not really about Jan. 6 and is only tangentially related to the attacks. Despite that spin, it’s unclear how this project will play with David Ellison and the team at Paramount who are poised to buy Warner Bros. Discovery now that the Justice Department has cleared their merger. Ellison has made a point of highlighting his family’s ties to Donald Trump, hosting a dinner for the president and members of his administration in April and showing up at the UFC fight that was held at the White House last weekend. That event, which was held on Trump’s 80th birthday, was broadcast on Paramount+, Ellison’s streaming service. Penn, who has called Trump “an enemy of mankind,” is of a different political persuasion.
The actor recently won his third Oscar for “One Battle After Another,” which Warner Bros. produced. Penn also won Oscars for his performances in “Mystic River” and “Milk.” His credits include “Dead Man Walking” and “Sweet and Lowdown,” but he has been busy behind the camera over the course of his career. As a director, Penn’s films include “The Indian Runner,” “Into the Wild” and “The Pledge.” Penn wrote the script for his Jan. 6 film and will produce with John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth under their Projected Picture Works banner. Production is targeting a mid-2027 start.
Cooper is also an acclaimed director, with Penn publicly praising his work on “A Star is Born.” The actor most recently directed and appeared in “Is This Thing On?” and also starred in and directed “Maestro.” Cooper’s credits include “American Sniper,” “The Hangover” and the upcoming “Ocean’s 11” prequel, in which he will star with Margot Robbie.
The deal with Warner Bros. was negotiated by CAA Media Finance. Penn and Projected Picture Works are represented by CAA; Cooper is represented by Range Media Partners. Deadline broke the news of Penn’s next project.
