New version of ‘Godfather: Part III’ to be released in December

LOS ANGELES: A new version of “The Godfather: Part III” directed by Francis Ford Coppola as a follow-up to two of Hollywood’s greatest ever films will be released in December.

The concluding film about the Corleone crime family’s rise and fall was relatively poorly received, and the new version will have Coppola and screenwriter Mario Puzo’s “original vision for the finale”, Paramount Pictures said.

“For this version of the finale, I created a new beginning and ending, and rearranged some scenes, shots, and music cues,” said Coppola. “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.'”

The new edit, retitled “Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone,” will be released in limited theaters in December marking the original film’s 30th anniversary before moving to streaming platforms.

Coppola said the version “is an acknowledgement of Mario’s and my preferred title and our original intentions for what became ‘The Godfather: Part III”.

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Despite failing to earn the critical acclaim of the first two films, “The Godfather: Part III” was still nominated for seven Oscars including best picture.

The 1990-film was released 16 years after the second installment and followed Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone in his 1960s as he tries to extract his family from the mafia world.

The new version entailed a “painstaking, frame-by-frame restoration” of the original film and previously unseen footage over the course of six months. Work including repairing scratches and stains on the original negatives was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and had to be completed remotely.

“Mr. Coppola oversaw every aspect of the restoration while working on the new edit, ensuring that the film not only looks and sounds pristine, but also meets his personal standards and directorial vision,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives. Coppola has previously recut classics including “Apocalypse Now.”