Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola is preparing to begin filming his long-delayed period musical Glimpses of the Moon in Italy. A report by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera stated that filming will start immediately, with the filmmaker visiting specific shooting locations by the end of the month before production moves to Calabria.
The director, who is 87 years old, has tried to make the film for years, but production previously stalled due to financing issues. Auditions took place in Italy last October, and filming was scheduled for November 2025 in Calabria, though production never began at that time.
The delay followed financial pressures caused by self-funding his epic feature Megalopolis. Despite those difficulties, Coppola described Glimpses of the Moon as a strange musical in the style of the 1930s, confirming his ongoing commitment to filmmaking.
Filming locations in southern Italy
Filming for the new production will take place across several historic sites in southern Italy. Initial locations mentioned in reports include the towns of Matera, Bernalda, and Montescaglioso.
Specific venues selected for shooting include the Palazzo Malvinni Malvezzi, the Cathedral of Matera, and the Abbey of Saint Michael the Archangel. After completing work at these sites, the production team will move to the region of Calabria.
Matera, located in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, is celebrated for its ancient cave dwellings and historic architecture, making it a prominent location for international cinema. Bernalda, also in Basilicata, holds deep personal ties for the director as the ancestral home of the Coppola family.
Inspiration and story details
No cast members have been announced for the production so far. The film is set in 1930s Italy and will be a loose adaptation of the novel Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton, while also drawing inspiration from the classic romantic comedy film The Awful Truth by Leo McCarey.
Both source works follow a married couple who decide to split up amicably. However, as events unfold, the husband and wife discover that permanent separation is far more difficult than they anticipated.
Edith Wharton was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author whose 1922 novel examined social customs and relationships among high society. Leo McCarey directed the 1937 Hollywood classic The Awful Truth, an acclaimed screwball comedy that earned widespread recognition for its witty exploration of marriage and divorce.
Future projects and career background
In addition to Glimpses of the Moon, the director already has another project in development titled Distant Vision. The ongoing work demonstrates that Coppola retains an inexhaustible drive to create new work.
Coppola is one of the most celebrated directors in American film history, best known for directing cinematic classics including The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now. Over a career spanning six decades, he has won multiple Academy Awards and remains a central figure in international cinema.
