Sean Penn’s busy shooting schedule is suddenly not so busy anymore.

Penn recently caught Universal, MGM, and Imagine by surprise announcing that he will no longer star in Asger Leth’s “Cartel,” or the highly anticipated comedy, “The Three Stooges,” citing personal reasons, according to Variety.

His role in the Peter Craig-penned script, “Cartel,” about a man who journeys to protect his son after his wife is murdered by Mexican cartels, will be recast.

It’s still unclear if MGM will recast or wait for Penn to return to work on “Stooges.”  He was to star as Larry in the Peter and Bobby Farrelly-directed flick that was also to star Jim Carrey as Curly and Benicio Del Toro as Moe.

Penn has completed two films for River Road, both earmarked for release next year. “Fair Game,” the Doug Liman-directed drama about outed CIA agent Valerie Plame, co-stars Naomi Watts. The Terrence Malick-directed “The Tree of Life” also stars Brad Pitt.

Penn is taking an undetermined sabbatical — possibly as much as a year — to focus on his family.