Sean Penn Teams With Bradley Cooper for 'Passion Project' Based on Real Events

There aren't too many actors out there with three Academy Awards to their name. Sean Penn is one of them.

The One Battle After Another star, 65, also has talents behind the lens - and is now setting up his next directorial effort, which Deadline describes as a "passion project."

Penn is teaming up with Bradley Cooper, who will star in the untitled film as a U.S. Capitol officer during the historic January 6, 2021 insurrection in Washington, D.C. Penn reportedly attended a public hearing tied to a probe of the deadly incident, saying he was there to observe as "just another citizen" to see if justice would be served.

Cooper, meanwhile, has portrayed a complex American patriot before, as fans will recall his Oscar-nominated turn in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper.

Production of the movie, which is described as "an unexpected story about friendship," is being targeted for mid-2027 given Cooper's commitments on the next Ocean's film alongside Margot Robbie, Deadline also noted on Tuesday, June 16.

Per Variety, insiders insist the film is not really about January 6 and is only tangentially related to the attacks. Either way, it's unclear how this project will play with David Ellison and the team at Paramount who are set to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, now that the Justice Department recently cleared the 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, according to Variety.

Penn recently made headlines when he revealed when he didn't attend this year's Academy Awards, where he was awarded his third trophy. Large gatherings, such as award shows, are "just anxiety- and dread-inducing," Penn revealed to CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the Tribeca Festival in New York. Find out more here.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 8:10 AM.