If Sean Penn is circling a role, you know it must be good. The actor has become quite picky in choosing roles lately and given his track record, he’s usually quite good at picking them. He’ll be seen next in Terrence Malick‘s The Tree Of Life and today we get news from Deadline that Penn is seeking out his next role and he’s looking towards The Last Photograph, a Niels Arden Oplev (director of the Swedish The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) film.
If he signs on, Penn would join Christian Bale, who is set to star once he finishes work on The Dark Knight Rises. This would give the film a 2012 start date. Deadline goes onto tell us that along with Tales From The Gangster Squad, Penn was also being courted for Man of Steel, Zack Snyder‘s upcoming Superman reboot. But apparently, he turned both films down and is instead turning his focus towards The Last Photograph. According to Deadline, the film is:
Set in Afghanistan, it is a timely drama that has elements of The Searchers and Taken. Bale plays a war correspondent who witnesses and is the only survivor of an attack on a group of Americans. Penn is circling the role of a retired ex-special ops soldier who comes to the scene determined to free a family member who has been kidnapped. The journalist agrees to help identify the kidnappers and travel the rough terrain to find them, in exchange for the story. The road brings them in confrontation with tribal regions of Afghanistan, and none of the diplomats will help.
If Penn joins that would make for quite a trio. Oplev behind the camera and Bale and Penn in front. Wow, I can already smell the Oscar. Penn and Bale are two of the best actors currently working in Hollywood and to see them together on screen would be fantastic. The plot also sounds really interesting and all things considered, this one looks like a winner. While Penn isn’t 100% confirmed yet, I have a good feeling he’ll sign on shortly. After all, if he turned down Man Of Steel and Tales From The Gangster Squad for this, it must be good.