The Godfather just released a new trailer for the 50th Anniversary of the film. If that wasn’t enough, Paramount Pictures is bringing the classic back to limited theaters on February 25. Dolby Cinema at AMC Theaters will be the lucky screens playing a certified event for film fans. As an added bonus, the entire trilogy has been restored with meticulous attention to detail. Francis Ford Coppola had completely control over that restoration process and the finished product will be available on 4K Ultra DVD on March 22. That marks the first home release of The Godfather to ever carry this distinction.
Over the years, the stature of these movies has only risen higher. For the past three years, Coppola’s production company, American Zoetrope, has been painstakingly restoring the trilogy. Check out what the legend had to say down below.
“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Francis Ford Coppola. “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.”
Here’s what you can look forward to with the restoration:
- Over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for every frame of all three films.
- Over 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears, and other anomalies in the negatives.
- Over 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 he 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. “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.”
Do you love The Godfather? Are you excited about the restoration? Let us know down in the comments!
