Al Pacino back on as Joe Paterno for HBO movie set to be directed by 'Wizard of Lies' director, Barry Levinson

Image from Daily Express

By Darian Scalamoni

            With HBO tackling one of the most famed “bad guys” in recent memory, Bernie Madoff, it appears they’re bringing on the director of that film and You Don’t Know Jack, Barry Levinson to helm the once suspended Joe Paterno biopic that was originally set to star Al Pacino and John Carroll Lynch as Paterno and Jerry Sandusky. That flick was to be directed by famed director, Brian De Palma and titled, Happy Valley but things have now changed creatively it appears.

            Pacino will still star as the legendary and controversial head coach of the Penn State football program but Carroll Lynch has not been announced as Sandusky yet in this creative change. Pacino is no stranger to working with Levinson as he played Jack Kevorkian in the previously named HBO film, You Don’t Know Jack. He’s also not a stranger to playing football coaches as he had one of the best speeches in football movie history in Ridley Scott’s sport drama, Any Given Sunday. The script will tackle the career that was shattered by the revered head coach when his defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky was caught after years of sexually abusing young boys. It’s obviously an incredibly heavy topic, but then again, so was Wizard of Lies.

            Pacino can be seen later this year in Dabka that also stars Evan Peters and Oscar-nominee, Barkhad Abdi. He’s also getting ready to shoot The Irishman, which will mark his first appearance in a Martin Scorsese film with an all-star cast that also includes Robert De Niro, Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel and Joe Pesci.