The Godfather Part III
The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, and Sofia Coppola. It is the third and final installment in The Godfather trilogy. A sequel to The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), it concludes the fictional story of Michael Corleone, the patriarch of the Corleone family who attempts to legitimize his criminal empire. The film also includes fictionalized accounts of two real-life events: the 1978 death of Pope John Paul I and the Papal banking scandal of 1981–1982, both linked to Michael Corleone's business affairs.
"The Godfather III" redirects here. For the Wiley album, see The Godfather III (album).The Godfather Part III
- Mario Puzo
- Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Paramount Pictures
- December 20, 1990 (Beverly Hills)
- December 25, 1990 (United States)
162 minutes[1]
United States
English
$54 million[2]
$136.9 million[2]
Though Coppola initially refused to return for a third film, he eventually signed on to direct and write Part III after his two previous directorial efforts were commercial failures. Coppola and Puzo's intended title for the film was The Death of Michael Corleone, which Paramount Pictures rejected; Coppola considers the series to be a duology, while Part III serves as the epilogue. Winona Ryder was initially cast in the role of Mary but eventually left production due to other commitments and nervous exhaustion. The role was ultimately given to Coppola's daughter, Sofia which garnered much criticism and accusations of nepotism. Principal photography took place from late 1989 to early 1990, with filming locations in both Italy and the United States.
The Godfather Part III premiered in Beverly Hills on December 20, 1990, and released in the United States on Christmas Day, December 25. The film received generally positive reviews. Critics praised Pacino's and Garcia's performances, the cinematography, the editing, the production design and Coppola's direction, but criticized the plot and the casting of Sofia Coppola. It grossed $136.8 million worldwide and garnered seven nominations at the 63rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (Garcia). It also received seven nominations at the 48th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Pacino). In December 2020, a recut version of the film, titled The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, was released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the original version.
Release[edit]
The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures, premiering in Beverly Hills on December 20, 1990, and released in the United States on December 25.
Alternate versions[edit]
The Godfather Part III: Final Director's Cut (1991)[edit]
For the film's 1991 home video release, Coppola re-edited it, adding 9 minutes of deleted footage, for a running time of 170 minutes. This cut was initially released on VHS & Laserdisc and was advertised as the "Final Director's Cut". It was the only version of the film available on home video until 2020. The original theatrical cut was released in 2022, exclusively as a part of The Godfather Trilogy 4K UHD Boxset.
The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (2020)[edit]
For the film's 30th anniversary, a recut titled The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone received a limited theatrical release on December 4, 2020, followed by digital and home releases on December 8. This version includes changes to the beginning and the ending, and some re-edited scenes and musical cues. It has a runtime of 158 minutes.[16][17]
Coppola said the 2020 recut is the one he and Puzo originally envisioned, and that it "vindicates" its status in The Godfather trilogy, as well as his daughter Sofia's performance.[18] Both Pacino and Keaton gave their approval to the new cut, noting it as an improvement over the original theatrical release.[19]
Reception and legacy[edit]
Box office[edit]
The Godfather Part III grossed $66.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $70.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $136.8 million, against a production budget of $54 million.[2]
The film opened in 1,901 theaters, and grossed $19.6 million in its opening weekend, finishing second behind Home Alone.[20] It would go on to generate a total of $6 million on Christmas Day, which was the highest at the time. For seven years, the film held that record until 1997 when it was surpassed by Titanic.[21] In its second weekend it made $8.3 million, finishing third.[22]
Upon the release of the recut version, The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, in December 2020, it made $52,000 from 179 theaters.[23] In total, the film made $95,000 domestically, and $71,000 in four international markets.[2]
Cancelled sequel[edit]
Following the reaction to the third installment, Coppola stated that the idea of a fourth film was discussed but Mario Puzo died before they were able to write it. A potential script, told in a similar narrative to Part II, would have included De Niro reprising his role as a younger Vito Corleone in the 1930s; Leonardo DiCaprio was slated to portray a young Sonny Corleone gaining the Corleone family's political power;[46] García as Vincent Corleone during the 1980s running the family business through ten years of destructive war, haunted by the death of his cousin Mary, and eventually losing the family's respect and power.[47] García has since claimed the film's script was nearly produced.[47]
Puzo's portion of the potential sequel, dealing with the Corleone family in the early 1930s, was eventually expanded into a novel by Edward Falco and published in 2012 as The Family Corleone.[48][49] Paramount sued the Puzo estate to prevent publication of the novel, prompting a counter-suit on the part of the estate, claiming breach of contract. The studio and the estate subsequently settled the suits, allowing publication of the book, but with the studio retaining rights to possible future films.[50]