The trailer for Pierre Morel’s The Gunman has finally been revealed. Starring Sean Penn, The Gunman first released set photos well over a year ago, but for reasons unknown, has taken a while to reveal any promotional footage for the film. Based on Jean-Patrick Manchette’s novel The Prone Gunman, the film will be hitting theaters on March 20th, 2015.
The Gunman follows an ex-Special Forces soldier forced back into his former life when he becomes a target for his old colleagues. While Penn (Milk) plays the titular role, the film’s impressive supporting cast includes Javier Bardem (The Counselor), Idris Elba (No Good Deed), and Ray Winstone (Noah).
For Penn, The Gunman is his first on-screen appearance since 2013’s The Secret of Walter Mitty, as the actor didn’t appear in a film this year. For director Morel, the hiatus has been much longer, with The Gunman being the filmmaker’s first feature since 2010’s From Paris With Love.
Pierre Morel is a filmmaker who has capitalized on releasing his films in the first quarter of the year, as his previous efforts, Taken and the previously mentioned Paris With Love, were both released in January and February, respectively. With it’s March release date, The Gunman will follow that precedent for the director.
The trailer for The Gunman is familiar territory for director Morel, showcasing the gritty action and espionage that the filmmaker seems to gravitate towards in his work. Penn, on the other hand, is making a rare jump into action, although he does have some political thriller work under his belt (Fair Game, The Interpreter).