After giving us landmark films like The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, Apocalypse Now and The Conversation back in the 1970s, Francis Ford Coppola has sort of struggled to reach the same heights ever since. He continued to keep busy throughout the ’80s before his career tapered off in the ’90s and he decided to take a 10-year break from directing. He would eventually return in 2007 with Youth Without Youth, followed by Tetro and Twixt. All of these recent films have been somewhat experimental and, for the most part, left both audiences and critics baffled. This year, however, it appears that he may be trying to get back to his roots with a new untitled film that revolves around an Italian-American family. Fans of The Godfather may very well have reason to be excited, except for one strange detail: apparently the new movie also has something to do with dance.

According to THR, Francis Ford Coppola is currently writing the screenplay for a period drama that will follow an Italian-American family from the 1930s through to the 1960s. The plot is described as “a coming-of-age story that focuses on a boy and girl in their late teens.” Coppola has set up offices on the Paramount lot but it’s still unclear if they will be helping to finance or distribute the film.

It was Variety’s Jeff Sneider who tweeted the additional tidbit, simply stating, “Dance will be a key element in the new Francis Ford Coppola movie.” At this point, we really don’t know what that means, but it’s hard not to immediately assume this could be a musical of some sort. It’s worth noting that Twixt was screened with live musical accompaniment by Dan Deacon using Isadora, software that is often used by choreographers to incorporate interactive elements into dance performances. Either way, based on Coppola’s recent output, it seems unlikely that he is planning on simply retreading old material. Are you interested in Francis Ford Coppola’s latest project? How do you feel about the direction his career has taken?