Report: Pacino to play Paterno in HBO movie on Penn State scandal

Al Pacino is in line to play former Penn State coach Joe Paterno in an HBO movie about the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal, according to a report from Kate Stanhope of the Hollywood Reporter.

Barry Levinson, director of "The Natural" and "Rain Man," is attached to direct.

Paterno served as the Nittany Lions head coach from 1966 to 2011 but was fired as the allegations of sexual abuse of children against his former assistant Jerry Sandusky became public. Paterno died Jan. 22, 2012 just over two months after he was dismissed.

It won't be Pacino's first time playing a football coach on film, although the genre of movie will be quite different. He portrayed Tony D'Amato, head coach of the fictional Miami Sharks in 1999's "Any Given Sunday" which included the famous "Inches" pregame speech.