Sean Penn Could Become An Action Star In Prone Gunman

Sean Penn in The First.
(Image credit: Hulu)

It's strange to think of the actor that Sean Penn became after breaking out playing Jeff Spicoli in Amy Heckerling's 1982 classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but it's even weirder to think about where he may be going next: to become an action star. The Oscar winning star is now in talks to take the lead in Prone Gunman, a new movie being developed by Joel Silver's Silver Pictures.

The film will be based on the novel of the same name by Jean-Patrick Manchette, and according to THR should Penn take the part he will play Martin Terrier, an international operative who is sent on the run after he is betrayed by his handlers. The trade notes that Penn may be drawn to the project because of its themes, which are described as being "existentialist and involving explorations of politics as well as the human condition." Pete Travis, who is known as a director more than he's known as a writer (he most recently helmed Dredd 3D) is writing the project, an Studiocanal is aboard as a financier, but there is no helmer currently attached. Silver, of course, is best known for movies like The Matrix, Lethal Weapon, Predator, and Die Hard and will be producing along with partner Andrew Rona.

Penn's dramedy This Must Be The Place was just given a limited release earlier this month. He will next be seen alongside Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling and Ruben Fleischer's Gangster Squad, which Warner Bros. will be releasing on January 11, 2013.

Eric Eisenberg
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Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.