Paramount will have first crack at screen rights to a new installment of Mario Puzo’s "The Godfather" franchise that is in the planning stages at Random House, reports Variety. "We hope Paramount or some other studio will want to buy the movie rights, and it is our intention to see that happen," Random House Trade Group vice president-senior editor Jonathan Karp told the trade. He was Puzo’s editor when the author died, and Karp has spent the last several months tying down a rights deal with Puzo’s estate to draft another writer to continue the Corleone saga. Karp said that it was too early to know who would write the book, and a choice won’t be made until a final selection of story outlines are accumulated Nov. 4. Karp added that the original was a classic, and the idea is not to compete with it, but rather to continue the story in an entertaining and artful way that will make his readers very happy. Reports a year or so back suggested Andy Garcia might headline the fourth film.