Al Pacino to Play Dr. Jack Kevorkian...OK, Then

Two guys in dire need of career rebounds will team up for the HBO Films biopic, You Don't Know Jack. I'm not sure I'd go with that title for a movie about a man famous for assisted suicides, though, would you? Yes, this is the Dr. Jack Kevorkian movie, which Barry Levinson will direct, and which The Hollywood Reporter says will star one Al Pacino. Hoo-ah. Over the years, Kevorkian helped 150 patients or more shrug off their mortal coils, and was eventually convicted of a second degree murder charge after he sent a tape of his procedure to 60 Minutes. Kevorkian was released two years ago after serving eight years of his prison sentence in Michigan. Pacino probably needs the legitimacy a well-heeled HBO production can give; he was once hailed, and rightly so, as one of the very best actors of his generation. It's hard to find much evidence of that guy in the last ten years, however. Kevorkian will prove to be a much different sort of character than the one we're used to seeing him play. Very little shouting, I'd imagine. Actually, the one thing that always struck me about Jack Kevorkian is how soft-spoken he is, which is not an adjective that gets thrown around a lot when Pacino is involved. According to The Reporter, the movie has been in various stages of development for some time. There's no immediate word on when it will air, although if it goes into producion this year, it could be on HBO's schedule for next summer, in time for the Emmys.

Comments

[Sean]

LOVE Pacino I feel truly he is one of the best actors that generation your talking about along with D.Hoffman, De Niro,... the 60 year old or older fellows....

Love LEVINSON the man knows what he's doing...

Im really hoping this will be amazing b/c it could be...

[samier salime]

i wonder which actress will play the role of Judge Karen Khalil of Redford Township. she has camera breaker looks. there is not too many ugly arab actresses out there to take that role. Judge Karen Khalil tried to get her 10 seconds of fame out of Jack Kevorkian back in the days.

[willie]

the best actress to play the judge role was from the Wizard of OZ. the lady that played the wicked witch of the east. she is deceased. Barry Levinson can use any plain looking actress and apply some green makeup and a couple of big warts on the nose and chin. it would be a great opening scene for the movie, Jack Kevorkian giving an interview to a group of reporters outside the Redford Township courthouse then everybody looks up to see Judge Karen Khalil flying in on a broomstick in black judges robes and big hat and clutching a bottle of vodka and landing on the courthouse roof!