Sean Penn To Join Mel Gibson's Professor And The Madman

Here's an interesting match-up. Mel Gibson and Sean Penn, two of Hollywood's more, shall we say, experienced and acclaimed actors in their own rights, are negotiating to team up.

Responsible for this is Voltage Pictures, also responsible for Dallas Buyers Club; and the subject matter for this project is based on the true story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, titled Professor And The Madman.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gibson first acquired the rights of Simon Winchester's book back in 1998 when he won his two Oscars for Braveheart; and it was supposed to be his next directorial. But now he has handed the chair to his Braveheart writer, Farhad Safinia - who also wrote for this movie.

Gibson will play Professor James Murray who sets about compiling the dictionary while Penn is negotiating to play Dr. W.C. Minor, an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane who submitted more than 10,000 entries for the dictionary.

No release date as of now.