Brian De Palma Will Direct That Forthcoming Joe Paterno Movie Starring Al Pacino

We learned back in September that Joe Posnanski's book Paterno would be hitting the big screen, and that Al Pacino had been lined up to play the late Penn State coach. We hadn't heard anything since then, so we hadn't thought anything of it, at least not until we saw this Deadline report:

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.

De Palma and Pacino had worked together on Scarface and Carlito's Way. Get ready for 10-minute long takes of an old man putting on his pants, America.

[ Deadline, via AV Club]