Sean Penn attends the Hammond Cinema Vanguard Award Tribute during the 41st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at The Arlington Theatre on Feb. 9, 2026, in Santa Barbara, California. (Tibrina Hobson / Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
By Johnathan Jones June 16, 2026 at 2:02pm
Hollywood and the left’s fascination with Jan. 6 is not fading anytime soon.
According to a report from Deadline’s Andreas Wiseman, actor and left-wing activist Sean Penn is developing a new drama tied to the events surrounding the Capitol incursion, with Bradley Cooper reportedly in talks to star as the lead.
The project is still untitled, but Deadline reported that it will follow the early life of a police officer who worked at the U.S. Capitol on the date.
Penn reportedly wrote the script himself and plans to direct the film.
Penn recently won his third Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Col. Steven Lockjaw in the leftist fantasy drama “One Battle After Another.”
Deadline described the new project as a “passion project” for Penn and reported that production is being targeted for mid-2027 because of Cooper’s existing commitments.
EXCLUSIVE: Sean Penn, coming off his third Oscar win for ‘One Battle After Another,’ has been quietly setting up a passion project.
The currently untitled film will follow the early life of a cop who goes on to be caught up in the January 6th Capitol riots. Penn has scripted and… pic.twitter.com/FCql3NIOxc
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) June 16, 2026
Would you watch a Jan. 6 film directed by Penn?
While the film reportedly centers on a cop connected to Jan. 6, Deadline said it is “not a ‘January 6th movie’ per se.”
Wiseman wrote:
Penn, known for his strong political convictions, previously attended a public hearing of the House select committee investigating the deadly 2021 insurrection.
At the time, Penn said he was there to observe as “just another citizen” to see if justice would be served. He sat alongside several law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol.
Among those he was seen speaking to were Michael Fanone, the former Washington D.C. police officer who was severely injured and beaten on the day.
The identity of the officer was not disclosed.
Deadline said the officer has signed off on the project, and speculated it might be Fanone.
Wiseman wrote:
You don’t have to squint hard to see a strong resemblance between Cooper and Fanone, but sources wouldn’t be drawn on whether the latter is the subject of the film.
It may not turn out to be him, but Fanone’s story is a compelling one. He served as a cop from 2001 until his retirement in 2021, and like Cooper has Italian heritage.
Fanone appeared on CNN for several years after Jan. 6 and was treated as a sacred cow by the network until 2023.
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Johnathan Jones is a journalist, novelist, and media analyst with experience as a reporter, editor, and producer across radio, television, and digital platforms. Follow him on X: @misterjkjones
