Warner Bros. has officially begun discussions with Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin for GANGSTER SQUAD, reports Variety. Based on Paul Lieberman's L.A. Times article, the story follows the Los Angeles elite unit that was created to stop organized crime from the East Coast from opening up business on the West Coast. Penn is up for the role of mobster Mickey Cohen. Gosling would play a young cop on the squad. It is not known yet what role Brolin is up for.

Ruben Fleischer (ZOMBIELAND) is directing from a script by L.A. cop-turned-screenwriter Will Beall. Dan Lin and Kevin McCormick are the producers.