Penn’s yet-to-be-titled project follows the life of a police officer who finds himself swept into the chaos at the U.S. Capitol, according to Deadline. Yet the film’s future is uncertain as Warner Bros., which has agreed to purchase it, is set to merge with Paramount Skydance. Paramount CEO David Ellison has previously taken steps to ingratiate himself with President Donald Trump.While most details about the film are still unknown, Penn has a well-documented interest in the Jan. 6 riot. The three-time Oscar winner attended a 2022 hearing of the Jan. 6 House select committee, which then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) established to investigate the incident.
Penn told reporters at the event that he was “just here to observe” as “a citizen.” He also said he attended as a guest of former D.C. police officer Michael Fanone. Fanone, a former Trump supporter, was knocked unconscious after rioters beat him and shocked him with a Taser.
Penn has previously referred to Trump as an “enemy of compassion” and “the tough guy who never was.” While Cooper has not been as vocal about politics, he did attend the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The American Sniper star received criticism from conservative social media at the time, though he insisted he was only there to hear then-President Barack Obama speak.
