Sean Penn and Javier Bardem to go after 'Cartel'

In a double punch of Oscar winning heavyweights, Universal Pictures looks to nab both Sean Penn and Javier Bardem to star in their upcoming drama 'Cartel'. First up was Variety with their piece on Penn circling the lead role of a father looking to protect his son after his wife is murderd by a Cartel.

Then today Latino Review weighed in with this scoop on Bardem.

With Sean Penn in talks to star in "Cartel," a drama for Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, us Latin Rascals at Latinoreview found out that Javier Bardem is also in talks for the role of RAFAEL CASTILLO (40s), a wealthy but righteous DA who wants to put the cartels away. Castillo shunned his rich family for the law.

 

Asger Leth will direct and Brian Grazer is producing.

Written by Peter Craig, the mission movie will follow Sean Penn's character as he journeys to protect his son after his wife is brutally murdered in the gritty world of Mexican cartels.

The drama took root at Imagine as a remake of 1993 Italian film "La scorta," which followed four cops' struggle to guard a special prosecutor trying to bring mob bosses to justice. It evolved into an action vehicle for Penn.

Leth makes his dramatic feature directing debut on the film. He previously won a DGA Award for directing the 2006 documentary "Ghosts of Cite Soleil."

The studio and Imagine want to get the picture into production by summer. Start date won't be firmed until Penn's deal is made.

Sounds like a promising movie and an action role for Penn will make a change, although I am sure there will be lashings of social commentary in there as well to boost Oscar chances. Bardem's role interests me just as much, Ive only seen him in two movies and he was completely different in both, from his Oscar winning performance as weird and creepy psycho hitman Anton Chigurh in 'No Country For Old Men', to his charming turn as hopeless romantic artist Juan Antonio in 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'. So the idea of him as a crusdaing DA really appeals to me, Hopefully this one comes together as planned.