Paramount Pictures announced that Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” will be returning to theaters for its 50th anniversary at the Dolby Cinema and AMC theaters on Feb. 24, with 4K Ultra HD and digital on March 22.
Paramount has released a new trailer for the restored version. The restoration included 1,000 hours of color correction and restoration of the original mono tracks, in addition to 4,000 hours of repairing stains and tears.
All three films in the trilogy have been restored under the direction of Coppola.
Originally released in 1972, the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel is a trilogy that chronicles the rise and fall of the Corleone family under the patriarch Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) and the transformation of his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss.
James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte and Diane Keaton also star.
“I am very proud of ‘The Godfather,’ which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Coppola. “With this 50th anniversary tribute, I’m especially proud of 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.
“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.”
Coppola added, “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 Godfather” will be shown for a limited time exclusively in Dolby Cinema at AMC Theaters in the U.S., as well as in international territories around the world.