Report: Al Pacino To Star As Joe Paterno In New Movie
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- A new movie is in the works about the sex abuse scandal at Penn State.
According to Variety, Al Pacino will star as Joe Paterno, the legendary football coach of the Nittany Lions.
The movie will reportedly delve into how the Jerry Sandusky scandal challenged Paterno's legacy and the Penn State football program.
Variety reports the official logline for the film is:
"After becoming the winningest coach in college football history, Joe Paterno is embroiled in Penn State's Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal, challenging his legacy and forcing him to face questions of institutional failure on behalf of the victims."
The film does not have a title or release date yet, but it is being made for HBO and will be directed by Barry Levinson.
Paterno coached at Penn State for 46 seasons, becoming college football's winningest coach. But he was fired by the school's board of trustees shortly after Sandusky, who was the team's defensive coordinator, was arrested in November of 2011 for sexual abuse of children.
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Paterno died in January 2012 of lung cancer.
Sandusky was convicted and is currently in jail.
