Paramount To Release The Godfather Trilogy 50th Anniversary Limited Edition In 4K Ultra HD On March 22

January 13, 2022

The Godfather

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s  The Godfather, all three films in the epic trilogy have been restored under the direction of Coppola and will be made available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time on March 22. Also, Paramount Pictures  will give the film a limited theatrical release in Dolby Vision beginning February 25 exclusively in Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres in the United States, as well as in international territories around the world. 

Newly restored and remastered in Dolby Vision, all three films in the landmark trilogy will be released together with HDR10 on 4K Ultra HD Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time ever. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set will include The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, and Coppola’s recently re-edited version of the final film, Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. The disc set includes legacy commentaries by Coppola, as well as access to digital copies of The The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II and Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.

“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Coppola in a statement. “With this 50th anniversary tribute, I’m especially proud Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is included, as it captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy. It’s also gratifying to celebrate this milestone with Paramount alongside the wonderful fans who’ve loved it for decades, younger generations who still find it relevant today, and those who will discover it for the first time.”

The project entailed the following:

• More than 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for every frame of all three films.
• More than 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears and other anomalies in the negatives.
• More than 1,000 hours were spent on rigorous color correction to ensure the high dynamic range tools were respectful of the original vision of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
• In addition to the 5.1 audio approved by Walter Murch in 2007, the original mono tracks on The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have been restored.
• All work was overseen by Coppola.

“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, Senior Vice President, Paramount Archives, in a statement. “We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts.  It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”

In addition to the widely available 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set, a 4K Ultra HD Limited Collector’s Edition will also be released in deluxe packaging and including a hardcover coffee table book featuring photographs, as well as portrait art prints on archival paper. Both 4K Ultra HD sets include new bonus content including an introduction to The Godfather by Coppola, a featurette about the preservation process, photos by acclaimed photographer Steve Schapiro, home movie footage and comparisons of the new restoration to earlier versions of the films. 

Newly restored and remastered versions of The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II and Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone will also be available together on Blu-ray with access to digital copies and the new and legacy bonus content.

NEW BONUS CONTENT:

·Introduction to The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola

·Full Circle: Preserving The Godfather—Paramount Pictures archivists detail the incredible restoration process with archival footage showing the evolution of the film through various home entertainment incarnations as picture and audio technologies make quantum leaps over the decades.

·Capturing the Corleones: Through the Lens of Photographer Steve Schapiro— In this reflective and frank discussion, special photographer Steve Schapiro shares his unique perspective and cherished memories as a witness to the making of this seminal film.  Commentary on curated archival images makes for a fascinating, never-before-seen addition to the production’s history.

·The Godfather: Home Movies— An assortment of 8mm home movie footage shot in 1971 offers a candid glimpse into the production of The Godfather.  Shot on location at the Norton family estate on Staten Island’s Emerson Hill, this is the first time it’s been made available to the public.

·Restoration Comparisons— Before and after highlights showcase extensive picture quality improvements to The Godfather.

LEGACY BONUS CONTENT:

• The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t
• Godfather World
• Emulsional Rescue—Revealing The Godfather
• …when the shooting stopped
• The Godfather on the Red Carpet
• Four Short Films on The Godfather

o   The Godfather vs. The Godfather: Part II

o   Cannoli

o   Riffing on the Riffing

o   Clemenza

·The Family Tree

·Crime Organization Chart

·Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album

·2008 Credits

·Behind the Scenes

o   A Look Inside

o   On Location

o   Francis Ford Coppola’s Notebook

o   Music of The Godfather

§  Nino Rota

§  Carmine Coppola            

o   Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting

o   Gordon Willis on Cinematography

o   Storyboards – The Godfather: Part II

o   Storyboards – The Godfather: Part III

o   The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971

·Additional Scenes

·Galleries

·Trailers

·Acclaim & Response

·Additional Material

·The Filmmakers

·The Godfather: Part III—newly remastered and restored versions of the original theatrical cut and Coppola’s 1991 cut (note: these are exclusive to the 4K Ultra HD Collections)