‘Godfather: Part III’ Recut Gets Release Date
Francis Ford Coppola‘s recut of Godfather: Part III, done in part to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary, has been given a release date. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone will be available on Blu-ray and digital Dec. 8. Previously, Paramount said the film would also be given a limited theatrical release; it is unclear when that will occur.
The recut of the third and final film in the iconic Mafia series — which achieves Coppola and the late screenwriter Mario Puzo’s original vision for the finale — will feature a new introduction by Coppola.
“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,” Coppola said earlier this month at the announcement of the film’s release. “For this version of the finale, I created a new beginning and ending, and rearranged some scenes, shots, and music cues.”
He continued, “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.” Puzo died in 1999. He was 78.
