Al Pacino to Play Phil Spector in HBO Movie, Written and Directed by David Mamet

Tony Award and Academy Award winner Al Pacino will play record producer Phil Spector in an as-yet-untitled HBO movie, to be written and directed by David Mamet, according to The New York Times. The project is being executive produced by Barry Levinson, and is said to be “in the very early stages of development.”

Spector produced a large number of pop megahits, and worked with artists such as The Beatles, Ike and Tina Turner, and the Ramones. He is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted of second degree murder last year.

Pacino is starring on Broadway this season as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, repeating his performance from the acclaimed run this past summer as part of the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park initiative. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his work in Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. His other Broadway appearances include American Buffalo, Hughie, and Salome.

He is an eight-time Oscar nominee, winning for Scent of a Woman. His many films include The Godfather trilogy, Dog Day Afternoon, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Frankie and Johnny, and he won the Emmy Award for his portrayal of Roy Cohn in HBO’s miniseries version of Angels in America.