Al Pacino’s Joe Paterno Film ‘Happy Valley’ Back On At HBO

While Peak TV is credited for allowing premium cable networks to tackle provocative material, there are still some subjects that prove to be too much of a hot potato. A few years back, HBO “suspended pre-production” on “Happy Valley,” a film tackling the Joe Paterno scandal, that would’ve reteamed Al Pacino and Brian De Palma, and had John Carroll Lynch in the role of Sandusky. Well, the suspension became permanent and we pretty much thought the movie was dead, but it’s now kicked back to life.

Deadline reports that HBO has now given the green light to “Happy Valley,” but there has been a creative change. Instead of De Palma behind the camera, the movie will now be directed by Barry Levinson. It’s a far less exciting choice to be honest, but the director has been tight with HBO most recently helming “The Wizard Of Lies” starring Robert De Niro, and previously working with Pacino on the Jack Kevorkian pic, “You Don’t Know Jack.”

READ MORE: HBO Reveals Searing New Trailer For Documentary ‘Cries From Syria’

The film will actually be going under a yet-to-be-determined new name (probably to avoid confusion with the documentary about the same subject), with Debora Cahn, John C. Richards and David McKenna all tackling the script about the legendary football coach Joe Paterno, who saw his career and legacy left in shambles when it emerged that his defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky had been sexually abusing young boys for years. No word yet on if Lynch will return to play Sandusky, but I presume we’ll know soon as this film moves forward.