‘Scarface’s Al Pacino, Brian De Palma Tackle Penn State Coach Joe Paterno In Feature
EXCLUSIVE: The Scarface team of director Brian De Palma and Al Pacino are re-teaming for Happy Valley, the working title of a film that will tell the story of Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno. Paterno’s legend was undone by revelations he and others in the football program were aware that former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was molesting children, and did little to stop it, supposedly fearing bad publicity for the powerhouse gridiron program they presided over. Wall Street producer Edward R. Pressman has optioned the bestselling book Paterno by Joe Posnanski. Dave McKenna (American History X and Blow) is making a deal to write the script. The Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation is backing the project.
Pacino became attached to play Paterno when a package including the book was shopped by ICM last fall. Pressman will produce with Pacino’s manager, Rick Nicita, who was part of that original package. They are keeping a somewhat low profile on the focus of the film for now. “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,” said Pressman in confirming the deal to Deadline.
Paterno’s fall from grace was Shakespearean and when he died shortly after his firing, many felt it was from a broken heart as much as cancer. He was in the twilight of a coaching career that left him the winningest coach in college football history, an iconic and beloved campus figure. Until his former defensive coordinator Sandusky was revealed to be a prolific pedophile, something that Paterno had been told about. While he informed an administrator, they did not call police, even after a graduate assistant and future assistant coach witnessed Sandusky in an encounter that looked like an act of sodomy with a child in the locker room showers.
An investigation led the university to abruptly fire Paterno, and his cherished football program was crushed. Penn State is reeling after unprecedented sanctions dropped by the NCAA. The university tore down a fabled statue of Paterno, and the NCAA stripped the coach’s wins going back to the coverup. Posthumously, he is no longer the winniningest college coach in history. More importantly, Sandusky was found guilty on 45 counts of sexual abuse against young boys and is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison.
There are so many themes to deal with here, from Paterno’s rise and his loyalty to a football program he spent his life building, to the obvious question of how a molder of young men could possibly have stood silently by when told that one of his former coaches started a charity for underprivileged kids and used it as a way to ingratiate himself into vulnerable young fatherless boys for sexual encounters,? The failure of Paterno and university officials to act allowed Sandusky to continue molesting boys for years, which was borne out in court testimony leading to his conviction and incarceration. Posnanski was working on a book about Paterno and was well into it when the scandal broke. The book is as much about what made Paterno tick as anything else, and capturing complex characters is something Pacino does well. He played a conflicted pro football coach in Any Given Sunday, and Jack Kevorkian in the HBO film You Don’t Know Jack.
De Palma most recently directed Passion, the Rachel McAdams/Noomi Rapace-starrer that premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Pressman’s COO Jon Katz will be exec producer and Posnanski co-producer. De Palma is repped by ICM, Pacino by CAA and Nicita, McKenna by Paradigm and Mosaic.
I guess they can use the line “Say Hello to my Little Friend” in this movie too..
Brad LMAO you are bad
GREAT LINE! IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO IF IT WAS YOUR SON BEING MOLESTED HOW WOULD YOU REACT TO WHAT JOE PATERNO DID AND NOT DO!
I would not want Hollywood making money off the whole thing.
LMFAO It is very funny because it’s true
LOFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Exaaaaactly….
Both Paterno and Sandusky are 2 of the most disgusting human beings ever. We all know their story by now. I can’t fathom any reason to film this…….except for a petafiles “how not to get caught” lesson.
You have no idea of which you speak. You allow your emotions to determine how you will act.
Thank you. We are a Penn State family here, and suffer through this entire ordeal.
> Momiac The fact that the school has been sanctioned because the actions of Sandusky, the inaction of Paterno and the other members of the athletics staff, is completely justified. I think I would reconsider my child’s enrollment at a university that clearly condoned those despicable acts solely to improve Paterno’s, and the university’s, sports ratings. What you are out is minute in comparison to what the real victims, that would be the children Sandusky molested, of this cover up are going through. Both you and the Anonymous who replied to Stevomedic’s post are clearly only concerned about yourselves just need to shut up and go away.
I am so glad you are going to be able to survive! You have gone through soooooooo much. Those kids should learn from you!!!!
You have no idea of which you speak. You allow your emotions to determine how you will act.
…………………………………
Sure sounds like our inglorious president and the Dem’s in congress on gun control.
yeah, it is terrible to let the human emotion that results when a man decides that fame and a vast fortune is worth the raping of a bunch of children who are after all poor. You, don’t know what you are talking about. Giving a pimp like paterno a free pass just because he could recruit good ball players is beyond obscene.
Vast fortune? Do you know anything about Joe Paterno or Penn State? Paterno was one of the lowest-paid head coaches in the NCAA. Only toward the end of his career did he come close to getting what he was worth. And he gave most of it back to the school. In case you’d like to do some research, google Paterno Library or the Spiritual Center at Penn State. BTW, Sandusky was the rapist. People who refuse to study the facts seem to neglect to even mention his name.
Jeff, You are unaware of the facts in this case. The idea that Paterno was complicit in Sandusky’s crimes is laughable.
Keep believing the media you lemming. In case you are not aware, Paterno was a thorn in the side of ESPN and the other outlets because he would not play their game. Furthermore, the money that paid for the, “investigation,” that you didn’t even bother to read was authorized by the very same people who wanted to lay the blame on a dead man, and the saddest thing is that they they were able to sell the brain-dead masses on his guilt using three emails that were neither sent by nor received by Paterno, and which were so vague that they would have been laughed out of any courtroom in the county. Try reading and watching what John Ziegler has put together on the subject and maybe, just maybe if you have any brainpower left, you’ll realize that you’ve been duped.
FeeFoe, thank you for speaking up. This was nothing more then a witch hunt by the NCAA. Who is really to blame here, look at a redheaded former coach who was not man enough to break up what he described as basically a rape of a child. Hell, he didn’t even go to the police.
“Hell, he didn’t even go to the police.”
Neither did Paterno.
They are all guilty. If you were anywhere on the coaching staff at Penn State during Sandusky’s reign of terror, you knew what was happening. There is no way not to know about it–there were too many incidences not to. You may not have known the full extent, but you knew. Sandusky may have been a great coach. It may have been a witch hunt. Only Sandusky actually committed the actual rapes. But don’t kid yourself. They all knew. They work too closely together not to know something was wrong. And when it is actually confirmed and you shrug it off, ignore it, or do the bare minimum. Somebody should have been shouting from the rooftops, so to speak. To do a movie about this only mocks the children that were raped and, in keeping with the times, further exploits these children for personal gain. Gee who does that sound like?
yes, the redheaded junior assistant coach should have called the cops. However, when he reported it to the most powerful figure at the entire University (Paterno) the cops should have been called at that point. All you Nittany lions, I understand your grief here. You’re taking a real kick in the ass here. But you cannot in any way defend Paterno without seeming like you’re defending pedophilia or willful blindness thereof. If you love your school, celebrate his rustication from the institution.
Thanks FeeFoe! Let’s not forget the DA, Attorney General, and police who did nothing. Blame it on the dead guy.
Lance and Paterno think whatever they do is what is important and be as competitive as possible even if it means breaking the rules, then make sure you use Public Relations to adopt fans worship to the point that no one will challenge you and if anyone dares to, you intimidate, or invite them to be your friend, or have others bully them and say they are jealous or liars or worst have your worship friends do it pretending they are targeting you based on your success of winning the right way.
In the end, you lose yourself, think by doing some good things justifies cheating and breaking rules and hurting other people that may endanger your career, life, or empire of fear, then one day the truth is exposed and all the money, charity, and reputation you built on cheating cannot help you, people just pity you, and your worship cult stands by you in disbelief and defends your actions no matter what is exposed.
In the end, you only hurt yourself and cry about how your name is ruined, and deep inside believe others did it to you, even as you die, you try to justify that kind of existence that your good things outweigh the bad, and that may be true, but still you did it the wrong way in the end.
I still admire Paterno but only after the truth came out on him letting the world know how petty he could be too, same with Armstrong, but they did help many people too, and you have to recognize that no matter if built on cheating, fraud, and selfish ego ethics, but respecting them is up to each person, and I never respected Paterno’s cheating, calling other people names, when he was doing the same thing in the name of his own judgments thinking it was right when they both dead wrong.
I admire they both helped people in need, but I do not rspect how they did it and glad they faced the music of their misdeeds in the name excellence, and their legacies should not be respected just cautions like Greek Tragedies, sometimes you can think you are doing everything right and not see you are so wrong.
Paterno was lucky living his lies among Nittany Liars he created and death took his suffering away leaving his family living his lies now trying to change his image.
Armstrong is young enough to recover seek new ways of changing himself and now is in the process of rebuilding what he never was, he once thought he could move mountains, and now he cannot even run away, so he thought his something but is a never was.
We live here at PSU and Feefoe has it right. Never believe the media—– they are in it for the money—- not the truth.
“We are Penn State” changed to “We are Sandusky” on campus now?
You PSU boosters are almost as sickening as Sandusky.
Thanks FeeFoe. Well said. My brother played for Joe. There was no one who was more of a straight arrow than him. What the PSU administration, the media and the NCAA have done is a travesty. He was the biggest name they could offer up, so they threw him under the bus. I have read quite a bit about this, but if you can refer me to additional info I would be grateful. Thanks
You are funny, buddy! You are the only one duped by the misinfo being put out by Paterno supporters.
You didn’t bother to realize that your comment is sandwiched in between a lot of support for Paterno. Point of interest… how many people were fired when this story broke? Everyone who was around for it? Or…?
How many people were fired is another indication of the lack of responsibility evidenced by Penn State. The house should have been swept clean, yet the school did NOTHING. The administrator, the football staff in its entirety should have been charged along with Sandusky. But like any other big college sports program politicians have rallied around the conspirators to ensure that not too much MONEY is lost from this debacle. I keep asking the same question: If the kid Sandusky was raping was Paterno grandchild would Papa Joe have only reported to the next in line? What do you folks think?
I agree with you. Everyone needs to check Ziegler’s website regarding Paterno’s framing. What everyone will learn is that statements as listed in the article above that McQueary saw something that looked like sodomy. He did not see any such thing and has testified at the Sandusky trial as such. McQueary has stated during the pre-trial that he never, ever told anyone anything that resembled anal rape or sodomy. This was pure embellishment of the Grand Jury Presentment…..which is permissible in Pennsylvania. The Freeh Report is a document that could have been put together by a college freshman law student.
The media got this one completely wrong. Critical thinking is dead. Penn State’s board hasn’t helped matters by being cowards instead of trying to get to the truth.
John Ziegler is also a 9/11 conspiracy theorist, so take that with a grain of salt
It’s sad the number of people who won’t let the facts get in the way of smearing the name of a man who didn’t molest a single child.
Unfortunately, that’s the kind of people to whom this movie is likely to play. I doubt we’ll see the truth from DePalma and Pacino.
Another fool who swallows what the ratings driven media tells without employing one iota of evidence or critical thinking skills. Congratulations on being duped by the “Joe did it” narrative. You got it all wrong. Perhaps this film will tell the truth.
Sandusky and JOE Paterno are not one in the same. You have mispoken greatly.
While he’s spending his life in prison, please enlighten me on how he “got away with it”…
Idiot!
Comparing the two men this way is just ridiculous. There is no doubt that Paterno should have done more to report what was going on, but that’s not the same as being a serial child molester.
Hey “steveomedic”…
I’m not any kind of Penn State backer and don’t hold Joe Paterno in any kind of light making him a saint or great figure. Just another human being and a very good football coach.
But two things on your posting:
1) Should we really take seriously your beliefs/comments on this issue when you can’t even spell Pedophile?
2) There is a HUGE difference between what Sandusky did and what Paterno did. And since he died without is really knowing what he did or did not know, and there is no way to ever find out since he died without finding out, it’s pretty lame to vilify him after his death.
Petafile? What a brain trust. Kinda renders the rest of your post suspect.
Your opening statement demonstrates the you, in fact, “…know their story..”
this reminds of the watergate fiasco. paterno is nixon who like paterno lost his jpob not because of the act but because of his actions to hide it. should be a great movie or what ever to see. but i will keep my hands in my lap to hide from the people next to me lef6t and right. lol
I don’t doubt that Pacino can play Paterno, but Joe Pesci looks alot more like Joe Pat
The narrative presented above makes a for a great movie and a great story … even if most of it is not true. Go ahead De Palma, et. al., make your money propagating the lies started by Freeh and the media. The truth won’t sell, so go ahead and further destroy the reputation of a great man with your malice. Disgusting.
gmartin200—You’re kidding right? A “great man?” If this scandle had happened in Baton Rouge, LSU football fans fans would be jumping out of windows because they would be so ashamed of the program, the university and the coachs who let it happen—for DECADES. The problem was that the football coach was running the university and NOTHING was going interfere with his apotheosis.
There is absolutely no reason to tie Paterno’s name to the monstrosity of Sandusky. Paterno was a great man and still has a great legacy.
There is no evidence that Paterno was aware of Sandusky’s activities and considerable evidence that he did not. Paterno didn’t like Sandusky, Sandusky wasn’t even on Paterno’s staff at the time these things took place.
There is plenty evidence of Paterno being tough on his players by demanding the highest standards and not playing them in critical games when rules were broken.
This whole narrative is unsupported BS!
It’s a GAME. (Well it’s a big business and a little child rape isn’t going to slow down business). Great man ? He was a football coach. And he was, in part, responsible for the sick culture in which child rape could go unreported. Him and the losers whose self-esteem is wrapped up in a game. F him and F you.
and F U! You sheeple are really some of the most sick, ignorant pompas crud that has walked the earth. Get your head out of your hole and look outside the box. You will see how many people in authority allowed this to happen and continue without a word about it for years. Tell me, what type of law enforcement, DA, AG can and could sit back for years knowing this was going on and allow it to continue to some how build a case? If they knew of one, that was all it should have taken to stop Sandusky. crickets…
He was more than a football coach. His success as a coach made it possible for the university to grow into one of the largest, most spirited, and high-achieving public research institutions in the country. Before Joe, Penn State was a farmer’s college, specializing in dairy production. Now it is a national institution with 44 thousand undergraduate students at the main campus alone, who come from all over to study, research and grow. A football coach cannot accomplish these things.
Unfortunately, JoePa did not see himself as such an influential person because he was humble beyond measure. The administration stifled Paterno’s good-will attempts at having Sandusky ousted. Could he have done more? Definitely. Did he do enough? Not according to the media. Should such an incredible person be vilified as a result? Absolutely not. But he was used as the scapegoat by a vile board of trustees. This is the truth told from an avid news junkie, lawyer and Penn Stater (B.S. ’07, J.D. ’10).
I hate to break the news here, but pedophiles are loose in more places we want to even think about. Sandusky is committed unimaginable acts, and it seems most likely that Paterno (and others) could not imagine the what was going on. And it took an investigation by state attorney general many years to uncover.
You cannot hold accountable everyone within a few degrees of separation of Sandusky. If we did that everywhere, we all would be in jail. My son was in boy scouts — should he and I be jailed because some scout leaders somewhere were abusing children and we did not root that out?
Also, think about the story line here. Paterno broke the law and covered up a pedophile, all to protect his program, yet did nothing to stop Sandusky for 10+ years? You may want to despise him, but no one is that stupid. But sells papers and TV ratings.
What a maroon.
I don’t think maroon is accurate – more of a burgundy or magenta.
Paterno should be remembered for being the disgusting win at all costs person that he was.
Penn State and it maniacal supporters are out of touch bumpkins from central PA.
Paterno allowed kids to be rapes and molested – he and all the others who knew about it should have been arrested and thrown in prison.
Very well said, gmartin200!
PENN STATE FANS FOLLOW “AL JOEZERRA” AND SAY THE SCHOOL AND PLAYERS SUFFER FOR CRIMES OF SANDUSKY, BUT IN REALITY THE CHILDREN DID AND SPANIER, CURLEY, SCHULTZ AND PATERNO DID NOTHING TO STOP IT WHEN THEY FACED THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVINMG TO TURNN IN SANDUSKY FOR AT LEAST AN INVESTIGATION.
Well, you must be right because you used all caps.
@gmartin200: I’m going to venture a guess and say you’re either a) a current Penn State student or b) a Penn State alumni and c) completely and totally delusional.
BULL POOPoo. Papa Joe was one of the BEST, a GOOD guy. His only sin was to be loyal to a friend
Defending someone like that piece of excrement Joe Paterno says a lot about you. His sin was to allow boys to be raped to win football games. Now he’s in Hell getting the same from the Devil. What you are saying is that you would do the same thing. You and all his supporters are disgusting bags of vomit. You know it, the whole world knows it. It is only appropriate that the man who played Scarface also plays Paterno.
How exactly did he let it continue? How exactly did it help win football games?
When the result of your loyalty deprives many childhood of their childhood and then some, you are no longer one of the best, or good.
He would have been much better served had he been “loyal” to the poor little kids he allowed to be molested for many years in order to protect a stinking football team. Yes, they stink!
Why don’t you wait til the cases/lawsuits are done before making conclusions. I hate how everyone jumps to conclusions. If you think this issue is done, you’re dead wrong.
I believe there’s already been a conviction. Enough said.
Who was convicted?
Very well said! If no money or interests are involved the Truth will shine. Then and only we can talk and start taking parts. The question is will they reveal the truth, or just fed us with another lie that we will be brainwashed to believe? Even if the case is closed it’s possible that nobody will ever find out what the real facts were…I only pray and hope that those who know the truth will actually be let to bring it to light
…and I’m willing to bet that you have not bothered to read the 6.5-million-dollar Fact Freeh Report.
Do a little research, and begin thinking for yourself.
Audie… Paterno must be guilty… Who cares about the Court system , due process and the Law…. If ESPN says its true… It must be true!
Just like Mante T’eo’s girlfriend…
I just want to let the public know that despite the vocal disgraceful individuals that have defended them, there are many, many PSU Alumni who live in disgust at the actions of Paterno, Sandusky, those who enabled Sandusky, and those disgraceful individuals who continue to deny responsibility for this disgrace.
This should be done as a 3 hour movie for HBO or even better ESPN.
I’ll make no judgement on a film yet to be made but the above depiction of Paterno is simply not – at least not yet – supported by facts. Sandusky should rot in hell.
Actually they are supported by facts.
Now who’s being Delusional ???
What facts? Please cite where any finder of fact has found Paterno to be complicit in any crime.
I hope the scenery is edible…
The Hollywood set that are trying to propagate this is a larger pile of trash than the story that they are trying to propagate and their money making scheme is based on the mind set that “there is a sucker born every minute”.
Who wants to see a film that glorifies peewees? This is just gross. Doesn’t Pacino have kids?
I agree 100% ~ and who wants to see more of Al Pacino?
You realise that making a movie about something doesn’t necessarily mean that the subject portrayed is being glorified?