Al Pacino plays disgraced Penn State coach in trailer for HBO’s Paterno

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Joe Paterno was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for over four decades, and was regarded as a legend after becoming the most victorious coach in NCAA FBS history, but in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, that legacy came crashing down as questions began swirling regarding just how much Paterno knew about the scandal before it came out. Barry Levinson's upcoming HBO film PATERNO will dive into the scandal and stars Al Pacino as Joe Paterno. The latest trailer for the film looks suitably intense, especially in those chilling final moments, and Pacino is always worth a watch.

Al Pacino spoke of the real Joe Paterno while chatting with IndieWire, saying, "The question isn’t just what he knew, it’s what he did about it. I think he knew there were complaints. He knew there were rumors. […] I don’t think he was very fond of Sandusky, for whatever reasons — I think there were other reasons… He did act upon it. He did say he thought someone should look into this. [But] a guy like Paterno — he’s like an emperor, he’s like a king. He didn’t take up with it because it was out of his control. And I think this is a character who’s used to control." PATERNO also stars Riley Keough, Kathy Baker, Greg Grunberg, Annie Parisse, and Larry Mitchell.

PATERNO will debut on HBO on April 7, 2018.