Francis Ford Coppola Turns 87, ‘Glimpses of the Moon’ Still Moving Forward in Italy

Wishing Francis Ford Coppola a happy 87th birthday; he’s still planning to get behind the camera for another film.

Last year, Coppola secured his next project, “Glimpses of the Moon,” and a casting call had production set to begin in November in Calabria, Italy. That, of course, didn’t happen — and we’ve been wondering if plans got scrapped.

President of the Basilicata region, Vito Bardi, today officially announced “Glimpses of the Moon,” an ambitious film adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel. According to Bardi, the film is expected to be shot in southern Italy, with regions like Basilicata and Calabria serving as an international-scale set, helping recreate “European atmospheres” for the story. He did not mention a production start date.

I’m not sure why the film’s shoot has been delayed this many months, but I do hope it has nothing to do with lack of financing. That’s the last thing Coppola wants to deal with at the moment.

Originally described by Coppola as a “modestly budgeted” film — though what that actually means is unclear, coming from a man who just spent more than $120M of his own money on his last project — the film is partially funded by the Italian government.

Coppola has described ‘Glimpses’ as a “strange 30s-style musical.” No cast has been announced so far. This will be a loose adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel of the same name, while also being “inspired” by Leo McCarey’s “The Awful Truth.” Both works explore the story of a married couple who part amicably, only to discover it’s harder to let go than they imagined.

Coppola noted that ‘Glimpses’ was “funded the conventional way, with the help of national subsidies, because I’m all borrowed out.” While it “won’t be cheap by any means,” he emphasized that, unlike “Megalopolis,” it will not be an “epic.”

Coppola is, of course, the filmmaker behind “The Godfather” trilogy, “The Conversation,” and “Apocalypse Now.” He lost well over $100M on his last film, “Megalopolis,” which he self-financed, but he recently re-edited it into a more unhinged version that could potentially hit theaters later this year.