6/23/2009

in

Academy Award winner Sean Penn has dropped out of two motion pictures, citing personal reasons, and is taking some time off from acting to focus on his recent family troubles.

Sari N. Kent

Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn, in a surprise announcement, has pulled out of two films, citing personal reasons as the cause.  
  
According to an article in Variety, "Penn has informed Universal and Imagine that he will be unable to star in the Asger Leth-directed drama 'Cartel,' which was to be his next movie. . . . Directed by Peter Craig, the movie follows a man who journeys to protect his son after his wife is murdered in the world of Mexican cartels.'"  
  
The second film Penn will not be appearing in is the Farrelly brothers-directed MGM comedy, "The Three Stooges," where Penn was set to portray "Larry." The rest of the cast includes Jim Carrey as "Curly" and Benicio Del Toro as "Moe."  
  
But, Penn fans fear not, the Variety article mentions that, "Penn has completed two films for River Road, both earmarked for release next year. 'Fair Game,' the Doug Liman-directed drama about outed CIA agent Valerie Plame, co-stars Naomi Watts. The Terrence Malick-directed 'The Tree of Life' also stars Brad Pitt."  
  
In addition, at the Cannes Film Festival, Penn was said to be speaking with Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino to star in his movie, "This Must Be the Place." The motion picture will symbolize Sorrentino's English-language film debut but both financing and scheduling are not yet completed on the film.  
  
So, Penn is embarking on an undetermined break from acting, which could be as lengthy as a year, to focus on his family, which has been going through yet another rocky period since divorce plans were announced in April of 2009. Penn married "Princess Bride" actress Robin Wright in 1996 and they share two children, Dylan Frances and Hopper Jack.