Coppola's Conversation possibly heading to the Living Room?

If there is a single film I find myself coming more than any other, it is Francis Ford Coppola's edgiest and frighteningly intimate film "The Conversation." Both a film of its time, considering the then recent Watergate tapes, and one darkly prophetic of where things were going, it is also Gene Hackmans finest hour. Despite the techonology and look of the film being entirely analogue and earthy, it still holds all of its power (perhaps even more) today. Just compare it to modern glossier, digital takes on the subject, like Tony Scott's soulless "Enemy of the State" or Wim Wender's ponderously esoteric "The End of Violence." The Conversation, sadly, often sits in the shadow of The Godfather or Apocalypse Now.

A whole host of talent have gotten involved the idea of updating elements of the movie into a ongoing dramatic series incorporating the complex media and aspects of modern spying and government surveillance: Writers Christopher "The Usual Supects" McQuarrie and Eric "Band Of Brothers" Jendresen. Producer Tony "24" Krantz. Francis Ford Coppola is involved in some capacity as well.

"The absolute simplicity and elegance of the movie lends itself quite nicely to an ongoing series," McQuarrie told Variety. "The challenge for us was staying true to the original movie and yet evolving the work Caul was doing at the end of the movie for a series.”

While the overall concept of Harry Caul (or even better, start with a fresh new unrelated character) helping out folks episode by episode rings a bit like The X-Files monster-of-the-week episodes, or say, Quantum Leap and a host of other episode-by-episode shows. I would certainly hope that this sort of talent can and will come up with something as detail rich and dramatically complex as the folks over at HBO are capable of. Anything else would be an unfortunate blight on such a compelling film; better this than a remake of the film.

[Sources: Filmstalker, ComingSoon, Empire]