Penn Tackles Jan. 6

Sean Penn will direct a Warner Bros. film about a Capitol police officer on Jan. 6.

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Left-Wing Hollywood Activist Sean Penn to Direct Jan. 6 Drama Starring Bradley Cooper

Sean Penn to direct Warner Bros. movie about a police officer at Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Summary

Left & Center

A neutral summary of the key facts most outlets agree on, drawn from reporting across the political spectrum.

Sean Penn will write and direct an untitled Warner Bros. drama about a police officer caught up in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bradley Cooper is in talks to star as the officer, according to reports citing Deadline, though no final deal has been announced. The project reunites Penn with Warner Bros. after “One Battle After Another,” and is described as a passion project following the officer’s life before the Capitol riot. The film would mark one of Hollywood’s most prominent dramatic treatments of Jan. 6.

The Coverage

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Political Framing

Several outlets frame Penn’s Jan. 6 project through the politics of the Capitol riot and Penn’s outspoken liberal activism, emphasizing its likely clash with Trump-aligned audiences. They highlight Bradley Cooper’s expected lead role while describing the film as a Hollywood treatment of MAGA, the insurrection and the continuing cultural fight over Jan. 6.