Francis Ford Coppola Says “There May Well Be a GODFATHER 4 and 5 and 6" But He Wouldn't Direct Them

Director Francis Ford Coppola recently created a Director’s Cut of The Godfather 3 and it will be hitting theaters this week. The recut has been met with a lot of praise from both critics and the actors who starred in the film.

With the new cut of the film, which is titled Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, Coppola is out doing the press rounds and in an interview with The New York Times, he was asked about the future of the franchise, to which he responded, “There may well be a Godfather 4 and 5 and 6,” adding that, “I don’t own The Godfather.”

Paramount Pictures controls the rights to the franchise and the film maker points out that, “While there are no imminent plans for another film in the Godfather saga, given the enduring power of its legacy it remains a possibility if the right story emerges.”

It would certainly be interesting to see more stories told that center around the Corleone family, but if they do happen, Coppola won’t be the guy in the director’s chair, “I won’t do ’em. But I’m an old man.” He went on to explain:

“I like life to be an experience that I learn from. I felt a sense of completion after the first one. I felt the first film had all the story I saw in the book. I felt satisfied that it was summed up.”

The actors who starred in The Godfather 3 were also asked about the possibility of a fourth film. Al Pacino, who played Michael Corleone in the trilogy, commented on if his character could be involved in future films, saying that “it looks that way now, doesn’t it?” He then added, “Somebody’s going to come calling on him for advice.” Apparently The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone explains how Michael, who died in the film, could still have a part to play in a future story.

Andy Garcia, who played Vincent Corleone, said “Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t come to me and say, 'Hey, man, where’s Godfather 4?' I say, I’ll let you know when I get the call.”

There actually was a fourth Godfather film discussed decades ago and Coppola was involved at the time. It would have continued Vincent’s story and include flashbacks to Vito and Sonny Corleone in the past. But, after Puzo, who co-wrote the trilogy and wrote the novels, passed away in 1999, they decided not to move forward.

The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone hits select theaters on December 4th and will be available on home release on December 8th.