Sean Penn Directing Movie Based on Story of January 6th Cop

(Left) Sean Penn presents the Oscar® for Best Picture during the live ABC Telecast of The 87th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Credit/Provider: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S. (Right) Bradley Cooper at the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ World Premiere. Photo: Marvel.

Preview:

Sean Penn is planning a movie about the story of one of the January 6th cops.
Bradley Cooper’s in talks to star.
Warner Bros. is backing the new film.

With another Oscar on his mantel for his role as Colonel Lockjaw in ‘One Battle After Another,’Sean Penn is looking to switch things up and get back into the director’s chair.

Deadline brings word that he’s prepping a mysterious new drama that has connections with the January 6th riots that saw insurrectionists storm the Capitol in 2021 (more on the potential story below).

“Some search for battle, others are born into it…”

Release Date: Sep 26, 2025

Run Time: 2 hr 42 min

Budget: $175,000,000

And with ‘One Battle’ studio Warner Bros. backing the new effort, there are talks underway for Bradley Cooper –– who appeared with Penn in ‘Licorice Pizza’ and has been friends with him for years –– to star.

Related Article: Executive Producer Sean Penn Talks ‘Words of War’ and Freedom of Speech

What’s the story of Sean Penn’s new movie?

Executive producer Sean Penn talks ‘Words of War’. Photo: Decal.

As we mentioned, the film is being kept pretty much under wraps. Deadline’s story mentions that it’ll likely chronicle the earlier days of one of the police officers who had to defend the Capitol from the rioters, but may not directly touch on the events of January 6th itself, but offer a grounding on who the officer is.

What else is Sean Penn working on?

The politically-minded Penn is currently working on a documentary about Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was killed in 2018 after criticizing his government.

(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes®, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Stewart Cook/CBS ©2026 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.