Who was offered to direct The Godfather before Francis Ford Coppola?

Last updated: February 21, 2024

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The Godfather is one of those movies that you know multiple lines from and can recite several scenes by heart even if you've never seen it. It's widely regarded not only as one of the best mafia movies ever made, but one of the best movies ever made period.

The 1972 film cemented Francis Ford Coppola as one of the great American directors — yet he very nearly didn't direct it. He wasn't even the studio's first choice. It's hard to imagine this movie holding the place it does in cinematic history without Coppola's guiding hand, but that's very nearly what happened.

Who was offered the job to direct The Godfather before Francis Ford Coppola?