Sean Penn Set to Direct THE COMEDIAN Starring Robert De Niro

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Actor Sean Penn will be directing the upcoming drama, THE COMEDIAN. Penn will also star in the film with Robert De Niro and SNL's Kristin Wiig. Glen Basner's Film Nation plans to present the film to foreign buyers at the upcoming American Film Market. The script was written by Art Linson with Jeffrey Ross. It will be will be produced by Linson, John Linson, Jon Kilik and De Niro with Shannon Costello as associate producer.

Robert De Niro will play the role of an angry comedian who once enjoyed popularity from playing a character on TV. His hope is to regain the fame he once enjoyed. De Niro's character has been convicted of hitting an audience member in the head with a microphone and as a result, is sentenced to do community service. It is here that he mets Wiig who will turn his life upside down.

Basner recently told reporters, "We're so excited to be working with such an amazingly talent group of filmmakers on this movie. It simply doesn't get much better than this, especially for us New Yorkers."

Filming is set to begin in the spring of 2012.