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. (Atsushi Nishijima/HBO via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) --
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.
This image released by Hallmark Media shows Hunter King, left, and Tyler Hynes in a scene from "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. (Joshua Haines/Hallmark Media via AP)
Two new Christmas TV movies have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding.
"Christmas in the Spotlight" debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world's biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger as a pro football player, who meet and fall in love — not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
"It's clearly inspired by Taylor and Travis, but I don't know them and I don't know what is going on behind the scenes. I only know what's been put out there," said Eirene Tran Donohue, a longtime, devoted fan who jumped at the opportunity to write a script even loosely based on her favorite musician.
She was inspired by the couple's support of each other's accomplishments, particularly Kelce's ease with dating the star despite the glare of the spotlight, adding, "I love the way that he celebrates her."
Tran Donohue wants fellow Swift fans to know she wrote the script with them in mind.
"There are so many Easter eggs," she said of little details added that a Swift fan would pick up on. "I put in as many as I could."
Then, on Nov. 30, Hallmark will air "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story." Instead of a nod to Swift, it's an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark's headquarters is also in Kansas City, so it makes sense why the company chose the Chiefs to be highlighted.
In this story, written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, sparks fly when a new employee for the Chiefs organization (Tyler Hynes) meets a woman — played by Hunter King — whose family's dedication to the team goes back generations.
Sherman Wolfe, a San Francisco 49ers fan, said she got the call a week after Super Bowl LVIII, when the Chiefs... Read More
