10 Things You Never Knew About The Godfather Part II
From secret rewrites to Technicolor's last stand, the sequel's behind-the-scenes story is as dramatic as the Corleones.
Francis Ford Coppola, Director — Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Where to watch The Godfather Part II ↓Script Started Before Anyone Saw The First Film
Mario Puzo began writing the sequel script in December 1971, before the original Godfather had even been released. It was an incredibly early start.
It Almost Died With A Different Title
The film was originally titled The Death of Michael Corleone. That was the working name before the final title stuck.
The original screenplay of The Godfather Part II in the National Museum of the Cinema in Turin, Italy. — Eippol, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Scorsese Was Almost In The Director's Chair
Francis Ford Coppola considered having Martin Scorsese direct the film, but Paramount Pictures blocked the idea.
Pacino Nearly Walked Because The Script Sucked
Al Pacino nearly walked away after his lawyers objected to the quality of Puzo's script, prompting Coppola to spend an entire night rewriting it.
Brando Ghosted His Own Birthday Scene
Marlon Brando agreed to return for a birthday flashback sequence but failed to show up, leading Coppola to rewrite the scene the same day.
Caan Got First-Film Pay For One Scene
James Caan negotiated to be paid the same amount for a single flashback scene in Part II as he received for his entire role in the first film.
Cuba Was Really The Dominican Republic
Cuban scenes were filmed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, due to Paramount owner Charles Bluhdorn's interest in developing the island as a movie production location.
Paramount Feared The Part II Label
The Godfather Part II was the first major American motion picture to use Part II in its title, a decision that Paramount initially opposed because they feared audiences would reject a numbered sequel.
Critics Called It A Disaster Three Weeks Out
Film critics predicted the movie would be a disaster just three weeks before release, citing excessive crosscutting between the parallel Vito and Michael storylines.
The Last Dye-Imbibed Technicolor Epic
The film was the last major American motion picture to use Technicolor's dye imbibition process for release prints until the late 1990s.