In 1985, development of The Godfather Part III stalled because the cast of the first two films demanded more money to reprise their roles and because Paramount Pictures decided that a third film could not be made without Coppola's involvement.
The main reason behind The Godfather Part III's long journey to the big screen is Coppola's reluctance to make it. After finishing up with his epic 1974 sequel, Coppola was content to leave the Corleone story alone, with no burning desire to revisit that world again.
However, one integral name refused to be part of it: Robert Duvall. As the famous story goes, Duvall wanted to be paid a comparable sum to what Pacino was getting, and when he received word that he wasn't, he declined.
Summary. Al Pacino was 31 when he played Michael Corleone in The Godfather, but the character was only 25. In The Godfather Part III, Pacino was 49 while the character, Michael Corleone, was 59 years old.
However, he admits that he was compelled to return to re-edit the movie as it felt like unfinished business. Coppola admits it was the title of the movie that started him on the path to taking another look, as he had always wanted to name the third movie, The Death of Michael Corleone.
The REAL Reason Michael Corleone Changed in The Godfather 3
Did Al Pacino want to do Godfather 3?
Al Pacino was offered $5 million to reprise his role as Michael. But Pacino wanted $7 million plus a percentage of the gross. Francis Ford Coppola refused. He threatened to rewrite the script by starting the story with Michael's funeral sequence instead of the film's introduction.
Hagen was originally intended to have been featured in The Godfather Part III, but was written out due to a salary dispute between Duvall and the film's producers. Coppola stated in the film's commentary that Duvall demanded the same salary as Al Pacino (who portrayed Michael Corleone).
Winona Ryder Almost Played Mary Corleone In The Godfather Part III. Sofia Coppola's Mary Corleone has a major role in The Godfather Part III, and her death at the end of the 1990 movie acts as the ultimate punishment for all of Michael Corleone's sins.
The primary reason why Jack Nicholson turned down the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather was that the presently retired Nicholson, who identified himself as being Irish throughout his career, felt that the role of the Italian-American Michael should be played by an Italian actor.
Winona Ryder was initially cast in the role of Mary but eventually left production due to other commitments and nervous exhaustion. The role was ultimately given to Coppola's daughter, Sofia which garnered much criticism and accusations of nepotism.
Winona Ryder was originally cast as Mary Corleone but had to leave the film due to doctor-recommended reasons, which led Francis Ford Coppola to cast his daughter, Sofia Coppola.
Nicolas Cage begged his uncle Francis Ford Coppola for a role in 'The Godfather Part III'. The 57-year-old star has revealed how he was desperate to land the part of Vincent Corleone, the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone (James Caan), in the 1990 film but missed out on the role to Andy Garcia.
Enraged, Sonny speeds towards Connie's apartment in Hell's Kitchen ahead of his bodyguards. At the Long Beach Causeway toll plaza, Barzini's men trap Sonny and shoot him to death. During a meeting with the other crime family dons to establish peace, Vito realizes that Barzini masterminded Sonny's murder.
Why was Sofia Coppola criticized for Godfather III?
The other criticism came from the performance itself, with critics calling her stiff, amateurish, and unconvincing, to name a few of the insults thrown her way.
Many articles accused the director of nepotism during the movie's release, though Sofia Coppola was a last-minute replacement for Winona Ryder, who dropped out just before filming. The bulk of the criticism focuses on The Godfather 3's Sofia Coppola casting and performance, which is admittedly quite stilted at times.
Sofia as Mary was actually a last-minute decision. Originally Winona Rider was casted to do Mary, but days before filming started, she was hospitalized due to exhaustion, so Sofia had to step in at last minute.
How much did Marlon Brando get paid for The Godfather 1?
Marlon Brando portrayed the iconic character of Vito Corleone in the first installment of The Godfather. Brando earned a salary of at least $250,000 for his role in the film [1].
Al and Robert met for the first time in Manhattan through mutual friends more than 50 years ago. Their acting careers were just getting into full swing at the time but there was a special bond that formed between them right away.
After Michael Corleone became operating head of the Corleone family after returning from Sicily, he removed Hagen as consigliere on his father's advice, restricting him to handling the family's legal business in Nevada, Chicago, and Los Angeles due to seeing Hagen as some sort of weak link.
Michael arranges to have Roth killed at the airport where he is about to be taken into U.S. federal custody. Minutes after disembarking the plane, he is fatally shot by Michael's caporegime Rocco Lampone, posing as a reporter. Rocco himself is killed by federal agents as he tries to escape.
