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Sean Penn Getting Back to Action in Asger Leth's Cartel

by Alex Billington
March 9, 2009

In his second casting announcement since winning the Oscar, Sean Penn will be getting back into action in a project called Cartel for for Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment. Originally developed as a remake of the 1993 Italian film La Scorta, it eventually developed into an action film written by Peter Craig (upcoming Cowboy Bebop). Penn will play Ed Marker, who journeys to Mexico to protect his son after his wife is brutally murdered in the gritty world of Mexican cartels. Prominent producer Brian Grazer is developing and Ghosts of Cite Soleil director Asger Leth will make his dramatic feature directing debut.

Universal wants to get this into production by the summer, however the start date won't be confirmed until Penn's deal is officially made. Penn is also in talks to star in Fair Game, the Doug Liman-directed drama about the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. These deals are probably taking longer to arrange since Penn now has Oscar buzz, although that shouldn't matter too much, since he's been nominated five times and won twice and is a phenomenal actor either way. Based on the concept for Cartel, I'd actually like to see him star in that project more than Fair Game, but that's just because I want to see him do some action again.

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