In 1974, in between creating The Godfather and The Godfather, Part 2, Oscar-winning writer-director Francis Ford Coppola made a film that was just as seminal as the Mafia dramas: The Conversation.

It was in many ways a small picture, starring Gene Hackman (in a brilliant performance), and including some people on the brink of stardom, Cindy Williams (pre-Laverne & Shirley), Teri Garr (pre-Young Frankenstein) and Harrison Ford (pre-Star Wars and Raiders). The Conversation won the top prize as the Cannes Film Festival.

Now, AMC has given Tony Krantz (24), the go ahead to produce a pilot based on the film. It'll be set in the early 1970s and remain true to the film's premise: the story of Harry Caul, a professional sound man, a guy who can plant bugs and catch conversations using tape recorder and surveillance equipment, but is isolated and uncomfortable with human contact. In the film, Harry hears a conversation between a young couple and is unsure whether the information he's heard -- or thinks he's heard -- should be handed over to his client.