Tim Robbins and Sean Penn, who collaborated on Dead Man Walking, are joining forces again for a new movie about the behind-the-scenes intrigue that went into the legendary 1937 Broadway production of Mark Blitzstein's proletarian drama with music, The Cradle Will Rock, according to Cinemania Online.

Just hours before its sold-out opening night on Broadway, the Federal Theatre administration tried to stop the original production of the musical from taking place by locking the actors out the theatre, but producers Orson Welles and John Houseman scored a coup by moving the production to another theatre and having the actors sit in the audience and then stand to sing or act their scenes from their seats (thereby circumventing Actors Equity rules for what constitutes a performance).

The Cradle Will Rock was first revived at NY's City Center in 1947 and later received a New York (and subsequently, London) revival in 1983 by John Houseman's Acting Company, starring Patti LuPone and Randle Mell -- and with the prologue delivered by Houseman.

The new film will have a screenplay by Robbins. Penn will reportedly play Blitzstein.

-- By Rebecca Paller