Penn 'helped' Team America

Film-makers Matt Stone and Trey Parker have thanked Sean Penn for vociferously objecting to their new film Team America: World Police - because it's given the film free publicity.

When the Oscar-winner discovered his anti-war views were being parodied in the puppet picture, Penn fired off a letter to the pair - also responsible for animated TV series South Park - ending it with the words "f**k off".

But Parker and Stone are thrilled with the publiciy Penn's outburst have given the film.

Parker says: "There isn't anything he could have done to help us more. Like, he helped the movie so much. Like, he released this letter and it gets picked up all over."