Coppola's "Conversation" Comes To TV

Posted: Monday September 18th 2006 3:57pm
Source: Variety
Author: Garth Franklin

Producer Tony Krantz ("24") is teaming with scribes Christopher
McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects") and Erik Jendresen ("Band of
Brothers") to turn Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" into a
weekly series for ABC reports Variety.

Coppola is aboard as an exec producer with Touchstone Television close
to a deal to serve as the project's studio. ABC has given "The
Conversation" a put pilot commitment with a rich penalty attached.

Released in 1974, between Coppola's first two "Godfather" pics, "The
Conversation" is a sparse thriller featuring Gene Hackman as master of
electronic surveillance Harry Caul.

McQuarrie and Jendresen plan to set the TV version in the present day,
with Caul now equally adept at digital spying and traditional audio
surveillance. The show will feature close-ended stories, with Caul
reluctantly taking on cases in order to help people deserving of

Greg Bryant...

This jettisons nearly half of the movie, which was the Harry Caul character.
I don't see how you could a) make a weekly series about the Harry Caul
character, as portrayed in the movie; and b) make the character without Gene
Hackman (okay, on that last point, I am biased).

assistance.

But there'll also be an ongoing storyline since, as in the movie, Caul
will be a man under constant observation by various government agencies
due to a secret conversation he's recorded.

A Ronald Bass-scripted take on the film was made in 1995. NBC shot a
pilot but didn't order the series.

Greg Bryant...

SACRILEGE!!!!!

WHY DON'T THEY ALSO TURN CITIZEN KANE INTO A WEEKLY SITCOM!