Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch and James Franco have all signed on to co-star with Sean Penn in the upcoming Gus Van Sant film MILK. The film stars Penn as gay-rights activist Harvey Milk who was the first publicly open gay man to be elected to office (City Supervisor of San Francisco). Brolin would play Dan White, the man who assassinated Milk and the San Francisco mayor in 1978. Hirsch will play a fellow gay rights activist and a close ally of Milk’s. Franco will play Scott Smith, Milk’s lover. Van Sant’s film beat Bryan Singer’s competing Harvey Milk film, THE MAYOR OF CASTRO STREET, to the punch with filming set to begin early next year. Singer’s film, which couldn’t get a script set before the WGA strike, is currently up in the air. The film would reteam Penn and Hirsch who recently collaborated on INTO THE WILD. MILK continues an impressive run for Brolin who’s had AMERICAN GANGSTER, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and GRINDHOUSE. Filming will take place entirely in San Francisco starting early next year.