Sean Penn has been set to direct a film about a police officer who was present in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 during the Capitol attack. Bradley Cooper is reportedly among the top candidates for the lead role.

The untitled project follows the officer’s early life and is described as a “passion project” by Penn, who recently won his third Academy Award for his role in One Battle After Another. Warner Bros., the studio behind One Battle After Another, has acquired the film in a negative pickup. Production is scheduled for mid-2027 to accommodate Cooper’s upcoming commitments.

The project, based on a real-life police officer involved in the January 6 events and reportedly with the subject’s approval, focuses on that officer’s journey from his early life to becoming an American hero in the eyes of many. It is not explicitly labeled as a “January 6th movie.”

Penn attended the 2022 hearings of the House Select Committee investigating January 6, stating he was there as “just another citizen.” During those proceedings, he sat between two Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police officers.

The announcement follows U.S. Justice Department approval of Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which will place the studio under David Ellison’s control. Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, have ties to former President Donald Trump and attended a White House event recently.

Penn won his third Oscar for his role as a racist military zealot, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, but skipped the ceremony to visit Ukraine.