Sean Penn to direct Jan. 6 drama with Bradley Cooper as Capitol cop

Sean Penn will direct an untitled drama based on the life of a police officer who was present during the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, with Bradley Cooper in talks to star in the lead role, Deadline reported Monday.

Warner Bros. has acquired the film as a negative pickup, reuniting Mr. Penn with the studio behind “One Battle After Another,” the Paul Thomas Anderson ensemble for which Mr. Penn recently won his third Academy Award. The subject’s identity has not been disclosed, though sources said the project has the buy-in of the real-life officer.

Described by insiders as “an unexpected story about friendship,” the film is said to focus on the officer’s early life rather than the Capitol attack itself. People familiar with the project said it is not a Jan. 6 movie in the traditional sense, but rather a character study that traces the subject’s path to that day.

Mr. Penn wrote the screenplay and will produce alongside John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth under their Projected Picture Works banner. Filming is targeted for mid-2027, pending Mr. Cooper’s completion of the “Ocean’s Eleven” prequel, which he is also directing and starring in alongside Margot Robbie for Warner Bros.

As a director, Mr. Penn’s credits include “Into the Wild,” “The Pledge” and “The Indian Runner.” Mr. Cooper previously directed “A Star Is Born” and “Maestro,” with Mr. Penn publicly praising the former. The two previously shared the screen in Mr. Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza.”