‘Paterno’ Trailer: Al Pacino Recreates Joe Paterno’s Downfall
Al Pacinomay not appear in many big screen features these days, but he’s had a steady run taking the lead as several real-life figures in HBO movies. Pacino’s latest HBO film isPaterno, telling the story of the disgraced Penn State Nittany Lions coach. ThePaternotrailer below presents the dramatic events swirling around the end of Paterno’s life.
Joe Paterno was a college football legend – a coach with the most victories in NCAA FBS history. Then it all came crashing down. A child sex abuse scandal involving Paterno’s former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky broke in 2011, and an investigation later revealed Paterno covered up info regarding Sandusky’s years of abuse. The story of the scandal surrounding Paterno is dramatized inBarry Levinson’sPaterno, starring Al Pacino. A newPaternotrailer has arrived to signal the film’s April release.
Paterno Trailer
This is an effective trailer, and Pacino will no doubt be great. I just hope the film ends up being better than Barry Levinson’s most recent HBO film,The Wizard of Lies, which featured Robert De Niro as Bernie Madoff. De Niro’s performance was wonderful, but the film itself felt oddly flat.
In addition to Pacino,Paternoalso starsRiley Keoughas a reporter investigating the story. The rest of the cast featuresKathy Baker,Greg Grunberg,Annie ParisseandLarry Mitchell.
“The question isn’t just what he knew, it’s what he did about it,” Pacinosaidof the real Joe Paterno. “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…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.”
This will mark the third time Pacino has played a controversial real-life figure for HBO. The actor previously appeared in the Levinson-directed HBO filmYou Don’t Know Jack, as “suicide doctor” Jack Kevorkian. He appeared in David Mamet’sPhil Spector, about the murder trial of record producer Phil Spector. Pacino will next be seen as yet another controversial real-life figure: he’s playing Jimmy Hoffa in Martin Scorsese’s Netflix filmThe Irishman.
