Honor Thy Godfather

After more than a decade of false starts and a skyscraper of scripts, it appears that Francis Coppola will begin filming “Godfather III” for Paramount in November. Al Pacino and Diane Keaton--who starred in “I” and “II”--are confirmed to return in “III,” according to a production source.

We’re told “III” will begin where “II” ended--with Mafioso Michael Corleone (Pacino) alone and corrupted by power, still bitterly estranged from wife Kay (Keaton) in the 1960s. It will then chronicle their lives into the 1980s.

Their grown son, who will figure prominently in the story, will become involved with a woman from outside the “family,” as his father did--but with a young male opera singer as a rival for her affections. The part was uncast at press time.

Though final writing credits are to be determined, the source said it will “clearly be a Francis Ford Coppola film.” Mario Puzo and Nick Marino are among the writers who’ve worked on drafts.