Sean Penn Takes Sabbatical, Possibly Dropping Stooges

In a sudden and largely unexplained move, actor Sean Penn has announced that he is taking time off, a decision that alters the plans of his latest projects Cartel and The Three Stooges.

Penn's point-blank statement is said to have taken studios by surprise, and Cartel's creators are likely scrambling to re-cast Penn's character to begin shooting early this fall as originally planned.

It remains to be seen whether Penn will still star as Larry the Stooge in the upcoming MGM comedy The Three Stooges alongside Jim Carrey (Curly) and Benicio del Toro (Moe). Variety writes that Penn's sabbatical will cause him to miss the start date of the filming, and no announcement has been made regarding the possibility of a re-casting or a delayed start date.

The potentially year-long break is intended to allow Penn to "focus on his family," according to Variety.

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IMDb: Sean Penn

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