Sean Penn, action hero? That seemed to be the path he was on last fall when his name became attached to an adaptation of Jean-Patrick Manchette's international thriller, Prone Gunman. While it doesn't sound like a natural fit for Penn, if he's going to do it then you know he's going to want a credible director to do it, and that's exactly what he's going to get.
Taken and District B13 director Pierre Morel will helm the film, which has Penn playing Martin Terrier, a hired killer who wants to leave the business and marry his sweetheart, but his old bosses won't let him go. The script by Peter Travis (Dredd) will take Terrier across the Europe in a cat 'n mouse chase to win his freedom.
If Morel can help reinvent Liam Neeson into an action hero, then he can surely do the same for Penn. Filming is set to begin in the spring. [THR]
