From playing the role of Harvey Milk in 2008 film Milk, Academy Award winning actor Sean Penn returns to the big screen with another bio-fic (biographical fiction) character in Gangster Squad as the famous public enemy number one Mickey Cohen. Warner Bros. Pictures will be distributing the film in all theaters nationwide beginning January 30. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the American crime film also stars Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, and Emma Stone.
Set in Los Angeles, 1949, Gangster Squad centers in the reign of the mob king Mickey Cohen who runs the town with his guns and goons as he reap ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and every wire bet placed west of Chicago. No one dares to stop him from taking the city even the politicians and cops that he has under his power. Until the secret crew of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Brolin) and Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
According to Penn, he sees the character of Cohen resembled Al Capone which according to him it looks like Robert De Niro will be doing the role better which he did in The Untouchables. But he didn’t mind about it instead he find the character of Cohen very interesting especially for those who will be encountering him on the big screen for the very first time. “He was a prize fighter, but the style of fighting was more primitive than today, and Cohen was more primitive in many ways.” Penn explained.
Kevin McCormick, producer of the film said that Sean really brought to life the character of Cohen who, in reality and in fictionalized account of him, has a huge ego and is very colorful. This was seconded by Fleischer which he said that he immediately thought of Sean Penn who will be doing the character of Cohen even during the time he was imagining in bringing the movie to the big screen. “Having him in the role was huge. Mickey is such a dynamic, memorable, menacing character and Sean has the gravitas, the intensity and the humor to pull it off.” Fleischer explained.
Opening across the Philippines on Jan. 30, 2013, Gangster Squad is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
