Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling posse up for Gangster Squad

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

With a cast like that, your ears probably  just perked up about this film. I hadn’t heard of it until now myself, but it’s a crime drama from ZOMBIELAND director Ruben Fleischer who has wrangled himself up quite a cast.

GANGSTER SQUAD is based on a series of articles by Paul Lieberman which chronicle the real life saga of an elite squad of officers trying to corral the mob in 1940s LA.

Penn is in the villain role as mobster Mickey Cohen. and Gosling and Brolin are in talks to play two cops who aim to bring him down. Here’s a little history on Cohen via Deadline:

Cohen, a former boxer who became an associate of Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel, was a charismatic figure who caroused around town with a gorgeous girl on his arm, and often with his attractive etiquette coach at his side. He once even took part in a Life Magazine profile.

But he was also considered a sociopath whose vices included sex and extortion, and whose mood could darken on a dime. When innocent people got hurt, law enforcement hardened to the fact he had to be stopped.

Certainly sounds like it’d be a dynamic role for Penn. I’m looking forward to seeing what Ruben Fleischer does with this, as it sounds pretty far removed from ZOMBIELAND and his new upcoming bank heist comedy 30 MINUTES OR LESS.