Hollywoods obsession with relitigating Jan.6 through a partisan lens is marching on, this time with a high-profile collaboration between two of its most politically vocal figures.
According to Western Journal, actor and outspoken left-wing activist Sean Penn is developing a new drama built around events tied to the Capitol incursion, with Bradley Cooper reportedly in talks to take the lead role. The project, still without an official title, is said to trace the early life and career of a police officer who was serving at the U.S. Capitol on that day, continuing the entertainment industrys fixation on a narrative that many conservatives view as exaggerated and weaponized for political gain.
Deadline reported that Penn has written the script himself and intends to direct the film, underscoring his determination to shape how this chapter of American history is portrayed on screen. Penn, whose politics are reliably aligned with the Hollywood left, recently collected his third Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Col. Steven Lockjaw in the ideological fantasy drama One Battle After Another.
The new film has been described by Deadline as a passion project for Penn, with production tentatively slated for mid-2027 due to Coopers existing commitments. While the movie reportedly centers on a police officer connected to Jan. 6, Deadline stressed that it is not a January 6th movie per se, a distinction that may do little to reassure viewers wary of yet another politicized retelling.
Wiseman noted that Penn, known for his strong political convictions, previously attended a public hearing of the House select committee investigating the deadly 2021 insurrection. At that hearing, Penn claimed he was present merely to observe as just another citizen and to see whether justice would be served, even as he sat alongside several officers who defended the Capitol in a setting many conservatives saw as a made-for-TV spectacle.
Among those Penn was seen speaking with was Michael Fanone, the former Washington, D.C., police officer who was severely injured and beaten on the day. The identity of the officer at the center of Penns film has not been disclosed, but Deadline reported that the officer has signed off on the project and openly speculated that it might be Fanone.
Wiseman added, You dont have to squint hard to see a strong resemblance between Cooper and Fanone, but sources wouldnt be drawn on whether the latter is the subject of the film. He acknowledged that It may not turn out to be him, but Fanones story is a compelling one. He served as a cop from 2001 until his retirement in 2021, and like Cooper has Italian heritage.
Fanone went on to become a regular presence on CNN for several years after Jan. 6, where he was treated as a symbolic figure by the network until 2023, reinforcing a media narrative that often cast President Trumps supporters as domestic enemies rather than fellow citizens. As Hollywood and its media allies continue to mine Jan. 6 for prestige projects and political messaging, many on the right will see Penns film as yet another attempt to cement a one-sided account of that day, rather than to grapple honestly with the broader context of unrest, double standards in prosecutions, and the ongoing concerns about civil liberties under President Trumps critics in Washington.
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