Sean Penn gets animated

The Sony Pictures Classics team racing to create a newly Anglicised version of French ‘toon Persepolis have grabbed two big names to help bring characters to life.

Sean Penn and rock god Iggy Pop have signed on to lend their tonsils to the ‘toon based on Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel of life as a young girl in Iran during the 1979 revolution.

Gena Rowlands is also on hand for a film that already has accolades, having shared the Jury prize with Silent Light at this year’s Cannes. And while Iran isn’t exactly thrilled at its continuing success at the French box office, the distributors are clearly delighted that it can attract hefty talents despite the controversy. "I think it's very good that these two actors have accepted. It will give the film another boost," international sales agent Hengameh Panahi blabbed to The Hollywood Reporter.

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