June 05, 2017
A new movie about the Penn State child sex abuse scandal involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky will be anchored by a veteran actor known for his starring roles in "Scarface" and "Scent of a Woman."
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Al Pacino is set to play former head coach Joe Paterno for the film, which will air on HBO. No other cast members have been announced.
Paterno died in 2012 at the age of 85 due to lung cancer. He was the winningest coach in college football history, but passed away shortly after being fired because of the scandal.
His legacy since has been tarnished by accounts of him being told that Sandusky sexually abused boys but Paterno contacting police. More recent reports reveal Paterno may have been aware of Sandusky's activities as early as 1976.
Sandusky was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2012. On Friday, three former school administrators were sentenced to at least two months in prison for their failures to alert authorities about reports of Sandusky's abuse.
The film doesn't yet have a title. The project's executive producer, Barry Levinson, most recently directed "The Wizard of Lies," which was also released through HBO and stars Robert De Niro as businessman and fraudster Bernie Madoff.
