Loading articles...

HBO biopic about Penn State's Joe Paterno premieres April 7

Last Updated Feb 23, 2018 at 2:40 pm MDT

In this image released by HBO, Kathy Baker, left, and Al Pacino portray Sue and Joe Paterno in a scene from "Paterno," a film about the late Penn State football coach. HBO says the film will focus on Paterno dealing with the fallout from the child sex abuse scandal involving his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The all-time winningest coach in major college football history was fired days after Sandusky's Nov. 2011 arrest and died two months later at the age of 85. (Atsushi Nishijima/HBO via AP)

NEW YORK, N.Y. – An HBO biopic starring Al Pacino as late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno will premiere April 7.

HBO tweeted the premiere date Friday, along with a trailer to the film directed by Barry Levinson.

HBO has said the film will focus on Paterno dealing with fallout from the child sex abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The all-time winningest coach in major college football history was fired days after Sandusky’s 2011 arrest and died two months later at age 85.

A report commissioned by the university and conducted by a team led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh concluded Paterno and three administrators hushed up the allegations against Sandusky.

The three administrators were sentenced to jail. Former university President Graham Spanier is appealing his conviction.