Just when you think you’re out… Francis Ford Coppola decides to remaster and rework The Godfather: Part III. Paramount announced today that it plans to release a new version of the film titled Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, which will restore the original ending that screenwriter Mario Puzo and Coppola intended to have on the film. The re-release will also feature a new beginning, some new editing, and a full visual restoration.
“Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is an acknowledgment of Mario’s and my preferred title and our original intentions for what became The Godfather: Part III,” said Coppola. “For this version of the finale, I created a new beginning and ending, and rearranged some scenes, shots, and music cues. With these changes and the restored footage and sound, to me, it is a more appropriate conclusion to The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II, and I’m thankful to Jim Gianopulos and Paramount for allowing me to revisit it.”
Coppola is alluding to the fact that The Godfather: Part III is generally considered the weakest of the trilogy, though that still puts it leagues ahead of almost any other film. If these changes really make the movie better, it’s going to be hard for anyone to ever argue over the greatest film trilogy ever. Fans of the original cut of the film, or movies with titles that aren’t five miles long, do not have to worry as a restored version of the theatrical release of the film was also created over the six months of restoration work put into the release.
Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone will have a limited theatrical release, possibly tempting audiences back into theaters if COVID-19 is still going on, and then land digitally and on disc later.
