Sean Penn linked to 'Three Stooges' movie

Oscar-winner Sean Penn is set to star in The Three Stooges, according to reports. Photo / AP

Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn is reportedly set to star alongside Jim Carrey and Benicio del Toro in the movie spin-off of the classic slapstick comedy The Three Stooges.

There's Something About Mary writers the Farrelly brothers have written the script and recently claimed the movie is exactly what the world needs in times of economic crisis.

Peter Farrelly said: "When the economy started turning, we felt like the world could use a Stooges slapfest. Bobby and I haven't done a real physical comedy in a while, and it's the most exciting thing we could think of now, to have people go to the movie, see some great slapstick fun family humour."

Shooting will begin on the film later this year, with a scheduled release date of early 2010.

As well as The Three Stooges, Sean is also set to star alongside Naomi Watts in Fair Game later this year.

The actor is in negotiations to play Ambassador Joseph Wilson in the movie about the Ambassador's wife, CIA spy Valerie Plame.

The movie is based on Valerie's book Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My
Betrayal by the White House which discusses how she was dismissed from the CIA after 20 years of service after she accused the Bush administration of lying about weapons of mass destruction in her newspaper column.

- BANG! SHOWBIZ