Sean Penn is Going After Cartel

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=53580

Source: Variety
March 10, 2009


Sean Penn is in talks to star in Cartel, a drama for Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment.

Asger Leth will direct and Brian Grazer is producing, says Variety.

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

Robert Stone and Webster Stone will executive produce.

The studio and Imagine want to get the picture into production by summer.

Hmmm, could be good, Penn is a pretty good picker of projects and from what I read this more of an action film than his usual stuff.

 

[Heretic]

Hmm...its Sean Penn...so this movie is probably about how a white man begins to understand the plight of the illegal mexican immigrant, and how he then joins their cause because they are just as American as the rest of us...moreso, some might say.

 

[That-Guy]

Hmm...its Sean Penn...so this movie is probably about how a white man begins to understand the plight of the illegal mexican immigrant, and how he then joins their cause because they are just as American as the rest of us...moreso, some might say.

Sean Penn is an incredible actor and has been in a number of great movies. Don't trash him just because you can't handle his political activism.

 

[Wesley Dodds]

Hate to be Mr. non-Sequiter here but apparently at an Oscars after party Madonna walked up to Penn with her new new 22-year old supermodel boyfriend and congratulated him on his win, Penn said "Thanks. Another kid already?"


One of the lines of the year, i reckon...

 

[Matt]

So does this mean next year he is going to be lecturing us about the effects of drugs on society or how our oppression of South America and "tough immigration laws," are forcing Latin Americans to join drug cartels? Either way, I'm sure it'll be half preachy, half condescending and have just the right amount of *****ey thrown in to spice things up

 

[Matt]

Sean Penn is an incredible actor and has been in a number of great movies. Don't trash him just because you can't handle his political activism.

I can't stand to watch anything he is in just because he is such an incredible D-bag. From the way he talks down to the American people in basically every interview, to his general jackassery (The Katrina incident, the Oscar feud with Rock, the fact that his 'activism,' is little more than him jumping from issue to issue based on whatever will get him the most attention that week). I'm not usually one to judge an actor based on personal life. I love Tom Cruise despite his yelling at Matt Lauer. That said, Penn is such a *****e, it is impossible for me to see anything but the *****e on screen.

 

[TheFuture]

Hate to be Mr. non-Sequiter here but apparently at an Oscars after party Madonna walked up to Penn with her new new 22-year old supermodel boyfriend and congratulated him on his win, Penn said "Thanks. Another kid already?"


One of the lines of the year, i reckon...

Brilliant if true.

Penn is one of those guys who will do a film and be perfectly happy to wait it out until the right project comes along. Since 2003 he's done about one film a year so I'm sure this will be great.

There's only one man who can play the waiting game better and that's Day Lewis.

 

[Superark]

I think Penn is an amazing actor! He is one of the most gifted actors of any generation.

I just hate how it seems every role he plays he uses it to further his political agenda.

Penn your entitled to your beliefs, but just act already and keep them hush hush for a bit!

I hope Penn doesn't try to find something political to say about this film. I just want to watch a great actor act and nothing more.

 

[Dr. Evil]

He's a great actor. I watched his interview with Tavis Smiley from a month ago. I wouldn't say he has no sense of humor, I would say that his sense of humor is a bit on the drier side.

 

[That-Guy]

I can't stand to watch anything he is in just because he is such an incredible D-bag. From the way he talks down to the American people in basically every interview, to his general jackassery (The Katrina incident, the Oscar feud with Rock, the fact that his 'activism,' is little more than him jumping from issue to issue based on whatever will get him the most attention that week). I'm not usually one to judge an actor based on personal life. I love Tom Cruise despite his yelling at Matt Lauer. That said, Penn is such a *****e, it is impossible for me to see anything but the *****e on screen.

So you didn't see Milk, Mystic River and 21 Grams? If so, then I feel sorry for you, man. You're really missing out.

I personally couldn't care less about most actor's lives offscreen. As long as they haven't killed or raped anyone, what they do in their own time is their business. In Penn's case, some of the things he's done I agree with, and some I don't, but he's still one of the greatest actors of his generation. I'd probably watch anything that he's in.

 

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-javier-bardem-in-talks-to-join-sean-penn-in-cartel-6343

Exclusive: Javier Bardem in talks to join Sean Penn in CARTEL

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.

 

[Warhammer]

So you didn't see Milk, Mystic River and 21 Grams? If so, then I feel sorry for you, man. You're really missing out.

I personally couldn't care less about most actor's lives offscreen. As long as they haven't killed or raped anyone, what they do in their own time is their business. In Penn's case, some of the things he's done I agree with, and some I don't, but he's still one of the greatest actors of his generation. I'd probably watch anything that he's in.

Too bad that's 100% false. They are celebrities. Whether anyone (either them or us) likes it or not, they are famous. They are in the spotlight and what they set examples. Their actions, beliefs, feuds (etc.) are on a pedestal. It's their business and everyone else's if it's made public.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Too bad that's 100% false. They are celebrities. Whether anyone (either them or us) likes it or not, they are famous. They are in the spotlight and what they set examples. Their actions, beliefs, feuds (etc.) are on a pedestal. It's their business and everyone else's if it's made public.

I think what 'That Guy' is meaning is that is how he looks at things, I am the same, I don't care if Bale yells at the lighting guy, I don't care if Cruise is a Scientologist, I don't care if Penn is an obnoxious crusade bandwagon jumper, I don't care if Crowe is a surly *******, all that matters to me is what they do on screen b/c that is the only time their actions effect me.

 

[Warhammer]

In that case, I try to be apathetic of celebrities' personal lives, but I think we all care to various degrees about some issue whether it effects us or not. We can't control our emotions and if something ticks us off, we can't help but to be ticked off about it. The only issue is if we care about it so much that it effects our own personal lives in negative way.

 

[Hunter Rider]

In that case, I try to be apathetic of celebrities' personal lives, but I think we all care to various degrees about some issue whether it effects us or not. We can't control our emotions and if something ticks us off, we can't help but to be ticked off about it. The only issue is if we care about it so much that it effects our own personal lives in negative way.

Ive never found anything done by a celeb as far as the types of stuff i mentioned below, that has stopped me from seeing their movie or made me get annoyed.

 

[Warhammer]

Oh no, same here! Tom Cruise can believe in whatever he wants to believe in and I'll still watch his movies. R. Kelly can piss whoever he wants to piss on, but I'll still listen to his music.

 

[Dark Donnie]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=59637

Josh Brolin to Star in Cartel

Source:Variety October 1, 2009


Universal Pictures has set Josh Brolin to star in Cartel, the Asger Leth-directed drama that will begin shooting January in Mexico City.

Brolin will play the role Sean Penn was to perform until he left the project in June.

Brian Grazer is producing the Peter Craig-scripted drama for Imagine Entertainment.

Brolin will play a man on a mission to protect his son after his wife is brutally murdered in the gritty world of Mexican drug cartels.

 

[matrix_ghost]

http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/uni...ive-weeks-before-production-start/#more-30851

Universal Cancels Josh Brolin Drama `Cartel' Five Weeks Before Production StartBy MIKE FLEMING | Wednesday April 7, 2010 @ 8:57am EDT
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EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures has abruptly pulled the plug on Cartel, five weeks before the film was scheduled to begin production in Mexico City. I'm told there were concerns about the budget and the complexities of shooting a drug-related drama on location in Mexico. The Asger Leth-directed drama script was inspired by the 1993 Italian film La Scorta, and Josh Brolin was signed to play a man hellbent on protecting his son after his wife is brutally murdered after mixing in the world of Mexican drug cartels. Brian Grazer was producing for Imagine Entertainment, and Peter Craig wrote the script.

I was unable to find out right away whether Brolin or anyone else was pay or play, but clearly the studio spent money it will not get back. It is a tough break for a project that was once set to go with Sean Penn starring, until the actor bowed out of Cartel and other pictures to take a sabbatical for personal reasons.

The studio confirmed the move and released this statement: "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment ceased pre-production of Cartel today. As much as we had hoped to begin filming this spring in Mexico City, the studio and its producing partners did not feel it was creatively ready to move forward under the timetable and budget we had established. We thank all of the filmmakers, cast and crew for their work during pre-production."

The move comes after several adult-themed films for the studio fell flat at the box office, most recently Green Zone and Repo Men. Universal decision-makers Adam Fogelson and Donna Langley are being more careful about subject matter and budgets of films they put in production. This is the first Universal film to be halted in its tracks that I can remember since the studio scrapped the Antoine Fuqua-directed American Gangster, paying out pay or play deals to Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro. The studio--and Imagine's Grazer--later put the film back together with Washington, Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe, and it was successful. Universal isn't the only studio scrutinizing its slate. Under Rich Ross, Disney has been unsparing in its evaluation of films, canceling pictures like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and a Wild Hogs sequel, among others. Nobody likes to see a picture scrapped, but when so much pressure--and blame--is leveled on executives for films that go over budget or misfire, these kinds of difficult decisions are bound to become more commonplace.

I will report specifics as I get them.

 

[Octoberist]

THIS is so stupid..an desperate move made by Universal..