LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 21, 2017 / HBO Films announced on July 17, 2017 that filming had commenced on its upcoming untitled movie about Joe Paterno and the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Hollywood icon, Al Pacino, is set to play the lead role of Paterno, the legendary Penn State football coach who was dismissed after becoming embroiled in the controversial case. Executive Producer and Pacino's former manager, Rick Nicita, is excited to see the film reach the production stage after an extended pre-production period.
Almost two years after HBO hit pause on the project, the Paterno biopic was given the green light to proceed in June 2017 with director Barry Levinson at the helm. The anticipated film will add to Rick Nicita's growing number of producer roles since making the decision in January 2017 to leave artist representation and focus exclusively on producing and consulting. Although retired from artist management, the project will see him reunite with one of his former clients, Al Pacino, for the Oscar winner's fourth long-form project with HBO.
Nicita and his accompanying film executives believe the two-year hiatus allowed the writers, Debora Cahn, John C. Richards and David McKenna, to further develop the script with Barry Levinson and more effectively chronicle this gripping and significant event in American college football history. As it stands, the film will center around the fallen Penn State coach, Paterno (played by Pacino) in the twilight of his career. Paterno's great legacy became unravelled after he and a number of others in the football program were found to be aware of - but did little to stop - former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse. The scandal rocked the college football world, and has since prompted an imperative social commentary on the institutional failure on behalf of the victims. The events that unfolded at Penn State, though horrific, have also helped to raise awareness of sexual abuse in schools and guide its prevention.
Rick Nicita has been a long-standing principal in motion picture representation and management for over three decades. He is best known as a major agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) from 1980 to 2008 and serving as Co-Chairman from 1995. He also was Co-Chairman and COO of Morgan Creek Productions from 2008 to 2011. During his respected and vastly successful artist representation career, Nicita was agent and manager to many of the movie industry's highest profile talents. In January 2017, Nicita decided to withdraw from talent representation, and move exclusively into producing and consulting.
Rick Nicita - Producer & Founder of RPMedia: http://ricknicitanews.com
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SOURCE: Rick Nicita