Written and directed by Bryan Buckley, the cast will also feature Barkhad Abdi, Melanie Griffith and Evan Peters. The latter will star as journalist Jay Bahadur, who penned "The Pirates of Somalia."
Pacino, according to the industry website, has been cast in the role of Seymour Tobin, a "fictitious Vietnam War correspondent whose passion for telling the uncensored truth far exceeds the battlefield." Abdi will portray "the translator who helps Bahadur navigate Somalia," and Griffith will be seen as Bahadur's "eccentric, loving mother."
Production begins in New York this month and will relocate to South Africa in March.
A release date has yet to be announced.
Pacino is a Tony winner for his performances in Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel.