Pacino As Paterno: It’s Happening, De Palma To Direct

Al Pacino has played some pretty varied–and controversial–characters over the years, but the news of his latest project is taking some by surprise. Director Brian De Palma will helm a film...
Pacino As Paterno: It’s Happening, De Palma To Direct
Written by Amanda Crum
  • Al Pacino has played some pretty varied–and controversial–characters over the years, but the news of his latest project is taking some by surprise.

    Director Brian De Palma will helm a film about disgraced football coach Joe Paterno, and he and producer Edward R. Pressman say they can’t think of a better man to play Paterno than Pacino. As of now, the film has a working title of “Happy Valley” but is in very early stages.

    “Happy Valley reunites the Scarface and Carlito’s Way team of De Palma & Pacino for the third time and I can’t think of a better duo to tell this story of a complex, intensely righteous man who was brought down by his own tragic flaw,” Pressman said.

    It’s unclear just how much of the film will focus on the Penn State scandal or if Jerry Sandusky will play a big part in the movie, but both seem inevitable. Of course, if the movie does focus more on Paterno’s football accomplishments–including being the winningest coach in college football history and having a statue erected in his honor–it will also most likely show the bitter end, when he was ultimately found to be guilty of covering up Sandusky’s sex crimes and had his titles stripped from him posthumously.

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