Mike Lowery
Long before Francis Ford Coppola considered fiddling with his heavily-panned closing chapter in his “Godather” saga – something he did in recent months, resulting in this week’s well-worthwhile “The Godfather Coda : The Death of Michael Corleone” – the famed, Oscar-winning filmmaker had an idea to continue the Corleone chronicles in a possible fourth film.
Horse heads were being stored, and wine was being removed from cellars, in grounding for a “Godfather Part IV”. Then, the death of the man behind the fictional Corleone crime family saw the project came to a rapid but not startling termination. Coppola, as one would expect, had no desire to continue on the new film when Mario Puzo, author of “The Godfather” (he later co-adapted the film trilogy), passed away in 1999.
Shortly before Puzo’s passing, Coppola had an idea to do a fourth film that would fix on Vincent Mancini/Corleone (Andy Garcia in “The Godfather Part III”) and his late father, Sonny – to be played by Leonardo DiCaprio in flashback scenes. The “Godfather Part II”-structured yarn would also bring back Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone, sharing the screen again with his “This Boy’s Life” co-star DiCaprio.
It was around the same time that there was talk of shooting the film in Australia, with local actors like Anthony LaPaglia (“Lantana”), keyed up for parts in the film.
Elements of the script exploring Sonny’s younger years – in the 1930s- would later be used for the 2012 prequel novel ‘’The Family Corleone’’.
While there was nothing signed, and Paramount’s beanpole counters didn’t even get so far as budgeting the film, it is believed that there were some kerfuffles about how much the film should cost. That won’t surprise anyone who is familiar with the history of “The Godfather Part III”.
Garcia, out promoting the new “Death of Michael Corleone” Blu-ray, recalled helping put the pieces together on the fourth film.
“My manager at the time was representing Leonardo DiCaprio and they were working with Francis on a project and I just mentioned that Francis always had this idea for another ‘Godfather,'” Garcia said. “I said Leo DiCaprio is the right age — this was back in the 1990s — to play a young Sonny in the 1930s. And De Niro could play Vito because he would be the right age for him in the ’30s. And then on the other side of the story would be me and Al returning as Michael. Maybe he’s still alive and I can still talk to him for advice.”
“But Mario passed away like a month after,” Garcia said of the “Superman : The Movie” scribe. “The fact that Mario wasn’t around took the wind out of the sails for Francis.”
Garcia says he expects Paramount will likely gun ahead with another “Godfather” film or series in the future and he wouldn’t hesitate to get involved if there were a place for him (or Vincent).
“For Paramount, it’s a franchise. Even if you wanted to do a limited series called ‘Vincent’ that doesn’t have to do with the other movies,” he added, “people want to see it.”
Garcia said he’d even consider directing a film or series if the opportunity presented itself.
Coppola, 81, wouldn’t be involved.
“If there are more “Godfather” movies to come”, the filmmaker tells The NY Times, “I won’t do ’em. But I’m an old man.”
Paramount? they say there’s potential, considering what a legendary brand it is, that they might do another “Godfather”. Don’t expect DiCaprio to be playing young Sonny in it.
