WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sean Penn will direct a feature film about the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bradley Cooper is in negotiations to perform the lead role in the production.

The screenplay for the film was written by Penn. John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth will produce the project through their banner, Projected Picture Works. Warner Bros. is the studio backing the project, and CAA Media Finance facilitated the agreement between the studio and the filmmakers.

The film's narrative will center on a law enforcement officer who was present during the 2021 Capitol events. The production team is collaborating with the real-life individual who inspired the script, though that person's identity remains undisclosed. The film has been characterized by creators as a narrative focused on friendship. Principal photography is currently scheduled to begin in the middle of 2027.

Penn attended a congressional committee hearing on January 6 in 2022 as an independent civilian observer. At that hearing, Penn stated, "I think we all saw what happened on January 6, and now we're looking to see if justice comes on the other side of it." Penn has previously described Trump as "an enemy of mankind" and "a narcissist."

Penn previously earned Academy Awards for his acting work in "Milk" and "Mystic River." He did not attend the ceremony when he was to receive the honor for a film titled "One Battle After Another" due to a trip to Ukraine with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

No independent assessment of Sean Penn’s claims was available.