Paramount Pictures is making movie lovers an offer they can’t refuse. In February The Godfather will return to theaters for a limited release in honor of its 50th anniversary. That’s only part of the studio’s celebration though. When it returns, the Best Picture winner will look better than ever. On both the big screen and your own screen. For the first time ever the entire trilogy has been restored for 4k Ultra HD. And it’s getting a home release.
Paramount Pictures has announced that starting on February 25 the Corleone family will return in Dolby Vision. The unquestioned 1972 classic about an Italian crime family will air exclusively in Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres in the U.S. It will also get a limited theatrical re-release in some international markets too.
Don’t worry if you can’t make it to a theater. Fans everywhere will soon get to watch The Godfather like never before. Director Francis Ford Coppola spent three years overseeing a meticulous restoration of all three of his movies.
Paramount says the process included pouring through more than 300 cartons of film. All to “find the best possible resolution for every frame” in each movie. The restoration also needed over 4,000 hours to fix any stains, tears, and “other anomalies” on the film’s negatives. And the restoration team dedicated more than 1,000 hours “on rigorous color correction” alone. All in an effort to maintain the integrity of the work down by Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
The updated versions comes to stores and digital on March 22. The first time ever the series will be available in 4K Ultra HD. And the new trailer for the restored Godfather original film shows just how good it will look in honor of its milestone anniversary.
“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Francis Ford 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.”
We can’t wait to see all three films completely restored. But honestly, if Paramount gave any version of The Godfather a theatrical re-release that would have been an offer we couldn’t refuse.
