The Lions' Pride

wouldn't be surprised if the movie never gets made

The problem is selling the movie. The Penn State fans and Paterno supporters won't be happy unless it's an honest and fair depiction of the man and the story. The media and movie critics won't be happy (and will destroy the movie in the reviewer stage) unless its a hard-hitting, tell-all critique of Joe and the University, whether it's all true or not. And the general public will be disappointed if it does anything other than bash and blame Paterno. Any deviation from any of those angles and there will be a backlash from some segment of people.

To what RX said, I just don't know how it gets made so that it will make money, and/or win awards. So if you can't make money and can't win awards, it won't get made.

My biggest fear is that whatever studio picks this up will understand all of this and won't do the movie unless it's more on the medial/general public side, since there is just not enough money to be made by playing it straight in order to keep the Penn State people happy.

1) Unfortunately, once a studio buys the script from the screen writer, it could go under a vast re-writing process that would strip the original script of all fair and balanced view points.

2) I'd be much happier with an HBO mini-series since that would allow more time to tell a fair and balanced story, whereas a box office movie would need to make compromises based on publicity, ticket sales issues, and the age-old time constraints (2-3 hours max).

You could be right, but Hollywood loves to trash big corporation/ceo types and make them the villain.

Yea but the only thing better than taking on "the man," is taking down a legend.

Sadly The Legend has already been taken down, but they also love to build them back up. I'm doubtful a pro JoePa movie will be made but I could see it as a possibility.

To me, it's 9/11. I havent seen a 9/11 movie to this day. I will not see the Paterno movie.

9/11 was too close to me from a personal standpoint and the Paterno movie is the same way. I met joe a few times, but as i was told by wally, once he meets you, and you tell him your name, he never forgets it and he sure didnt.

So this is a very personal subject and i will not see it. I dont need a hollywood screen to tell me or show me who or what Joe Paterno was. I already knew.

HBO miniseries is DEF the way to go... I would love to see a movie (could be more effective in reaching the masses)... But I really don't see a studio picking it up without a major over-haul of what the writer is saying. But maybe this writer is the type that won't let his work be compromised (aka, say hell no, we arent making the movie that way- but that's often times how movies don't get made). I can just see it going the way of HBO mini-series, because this guy actually wants the truth, and the studios want to sensationalize to make money. Those two things are in direct conflict with one another... Hank Moody feels your pain man...