NEW YORK - Academy Award-winning actor Al Pacino will portray Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in an upcoming HBO film.
The currently untitled film will be directed by Barry Levinson, according to the Associated Press. Levinson, who won his own Academy Award for directing "Rain Man," has dabbled in sports before. He directed the popular baseball film "The Natural" in 1984.
AP reports that the film will focus on Paterno dealing with the fallout from the child sex abuse scandal involving his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
A hero at Penn State, Paterno was beloved by fans around the country for most of his life.