"Mystic River" star Sean Penn (L) is set to play gay-rights leader Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant's "Milk." (Xinhua/Reuters, file Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- "Mystic River" star Sean Penn is set to play gay-rights leader Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant's "Milk," media reported Monday quoting Focus Features, as saying.

    Production of the biopic is to begin in January. 

    An activist and politician, Milk fought to secure a place for homosexuals in society as equals, not as people who were just tolerated. He professed the importance of gay people seeking leadership positions in society and not relying on non-gay friends of the community to act as the leaders of the movement.

    In 1977, Milk became the first openly gay person to be elected to the Board of Supervisors (City Council) in San Francisco.

    The following year, he and the mayor were shot to death by another city supervisor, Dan White.

    Matt Damon was going to co-star as Milk's assassin Dan White, but he pulled out in mid-September due to scheduling conflicts.

    Van Sant, director of "My Own Private Idaho" and "To Die For," is said to be the right one for the film.

    "Gus Van Sant is the perfect artist to bring to the screen the extraordinary story of Harvey Milk," Focus CEO James Schamus said in a statement.

    Groundswell CEO Michael London added: "The Focus team is the best in the business when it comes to provocative, socially relevant movies with world-class talent like Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn. We're thrilled that they share our passion for telling the story of Harvey Milk."

    (Agencies)

U.S. movie director Sean Penn attends a photo call to present his latest movie "Into the Wild" at the Rome International Film Festival Oct. 24, 2007.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>