Posted on 12/09/2024 1:32:03 PM PST by nickcarraway
After 50 years, Francis Ford Coppola has one regret about making what is largely considered the best sequel of all time.
According to the 5x Oscar winner, Hollywood’s ever-growing obsession with continuations is the result of his petty demands for making The Godfather Part II (1974), for which he fought Paramount Pictures on returning the director’s chair after the original 1972 was a major hit.
“They said, basically, ‘Francis, you’ve made Coca-Cola. You’re gonna stop making colas?'” recalled Coppola to The Washington Post.
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When Paramount rejected the idea, Coppola made some seemingly unreasonable demands, including a then-exorbitant $1 million paycheck and the addition of ‘Part II’ to the title (he was inspired by the Russian films Ivan the Terrible, Part I [1944] and Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars’ Plot [1958]). Although the studio thought it was a crazy idea, they ultimately agreed.
Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II (1974). “So I’m the jerk that started numbers on movies,” Coppola added. “I’m embarrassed, and I apologize to everyone.”
Meanwhile, The Godfather Part II won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Coppola and Best Adapted Screenplay for him and author Mario Puzo. The film currently holds a 96% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 97% audience rating.
Coppola’s comments come after this year’s Dune: Part Two and amid the wait for Wicked: Part Two, coming to theaters Nov. 21, 2025.
I blame him for ‘Highlander 2’ and ‘Caddyshack 2’.
Nice try Francis, but Planet of the Apes had sequels before you! I’m pretty sure there’s a bunch of others as well, but this was the first to come to mind
Even his “bad” movies look good. I love the look of his period pieces (”Cotton Club”, “Peggy Sue Got Married”, “Tucker”)
Yes, but Rambo II was MUCH bigger than “First Blood”. I think Mad Max II also outscored “The Road Warrior”.
There have been some great sequels. Lethal Weapon 2 was really good.
As was the second part of Dune.
Aliens was maybe even better than Alien.
Some of the Batman movies with Christian Bale were really good.
True. Rambo was actually First Blood 2. Should have been called Second Blood for accuracy’s sake.
I see your ‘Road Warrior’ and raise you ‘Ghostbusters 2’.
This is not so much about sequels, it’s about naming the 2nd “Part II” and the next “Part III”.
All sorts of Gidget movies had sequels too. What Coppola is copping to is inventing “numbered” sequels (II, III etc).
Quatermass II (1957) gets no respect, apparently.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatermass_2
Rocky 2 and 3 were pretty good.
I pity the fool.
He should only be embarrassed by Part 3.
… so the credit goes to numbering something that already existed?
Those people pat themselves on the back for Everything!
he was apologizing for putting in the part 2 in the title. I dont think he has any regret on making the sequels.
Well but wasn’t Godfather II supposedly better than The Godfather. I’ve never seen it but I’ve seen that said many times.
What about not sequels but stuff inspired by ad0infinitem?
For example, say Disco Godfather?
I am a person who thinks the first one was better, but some people do think the second one is.
Maybe it’s time I watched The Godfather Part II. What do you think?
There were 5 Thin Man pics. 6 invloving Frankenstein monster. I don’t know how many Francis Talking Mule pics, five Dr. Kildares. So I don’t know where Coppala is coming from here.
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