Variety is reporting that Sean Penn and Iggy Pop have joined the English language dub cast of the animated version of Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel Persepolis.  Penn will provide the voice for Satrapi's father, while Iggy Pop will do the same for her politically active uncle.  Other cast members include Gena Rowlands, Catherine Deneuve and Ms. Deneuve's daughter Chiara Mastrioanni, who will voice the movie's central character.

The movie, which, like the graphic novel, depicts the author's coming of age in Iran during the waning days of the Shah and the rise of the fundamentalist Khomeini regime, won a Jury Prize at the Cannes Festival (see 'Persepolis Wins Cannes Jury Prize').  The Cannes Award should definitely help the film get plenty of bookings on the art house circuit -- and given the previous success of the Persepolis graphic novels in both the book stores and the direct market -- this film is quite likely to be the number one movie of the second half of 2007 in terms of stimulating graphic novel sales, especially since the film should provide the perfect opportunity to push the rest of Ms. Satrapi's autobiographical oeuvre, which includes Persepolis 2, Embroideries, and Chicken With Plums.