Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Trilogy Dated and Detailed for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray March 22nd (2024)

As the trailer above indicates, the festivities of this 50th Anniversary celebration kicks off withThe Godfatherreturning to theaters for a limited engagement in Dolby Vision screens exclusively at AMC theaters across the country on February 25th, 2022.Click HEREfor moreinfo about showtimes.

Leave the Blu-ray, take the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Celebrating 50 years of the Corleone family on the silver screen, Paramount Pictures is bringingThe Godfather Trilogyto 4K ultra HD Blu-ray on March 22 in a Standard Trilogy release and Limited Collector's Edition. The set will of course includeThe Godfather,The Godfather Part IIand the recently re-edited and cumbersomely retitledMario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.From the press release, it does not look like the original Theatrical Cut ofThe Godfather Part IIIis making it to the format. We've asked for clarification on that point and will update if that's any different.

The Godfather Trilogy - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

The Godfather Trilogy Collector's Edition - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

We expect each film to be presented in full 4K with Dolby Vision HDR, the 5.1 audio tracks of previous releases, but as the press release now indicates, we'll also get the original Mono tracks forThe GodfatherandThe Godfather Part II.In addition to legacy bonus features, a full slate of new extra materials will be coming exclusively to this set. So far we haven't seen any info about any kind of retailer exclusive but we'll keep you posted if that changes.

[UPDATE 1/14/22]
Alrighty, after a lot of back and forths and scouring the interwebs for final details to this confusing release announcement - here's EVERYTHING we now know will be included with BOTH the standard 4K and Limited Edition 4K collections coming March 22nd.

First: Both sets are going to be 5-Disc sets. There was some confusion whenZavvi dropped their listing of a 9-Disc set, but that appears to be a UK/EU exclusive release that includes the same 5 4K UHD discs we'll get here in the states with an additional 4 standard Blu-rays of the films.

- Each film will get Dolby Vision/HDR10 grading.

- Previously available 5.1 TrueHD audio + Newly restored Mono tracks forThe GodfatherandThe Godfather Part 2

- We'll also get all THREE cuts ofThe Godfather Part III- how that breaks out is ONE disc forMario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleoneand then another disc forThe Godfather Part IIITheatrical CutandThe Godfather Part III Director's Cutfrom 1991.

How that all breaks down is ONE Disc forThe Godfather, ONE Disc forThe Godfather Part II, TWO Discs for all three of the different cuts ofThe Godfather Part IIIwith one final disc to cover all of the legacy bonus features that are listed in the press release below.

Now thatveryexpensive Limited Edition is the same five discs as the standard 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set, but with a coffee table book and three art prints. Personally, I wish they offered the chronological television version ofThe Godfather LegacyfeaturingThe GodfatherandThe Godfather Part IIedited together as one long movie experienceas a bonus. It's a pretty cool and very unique presentation of both films together. I've only ever seen it once on AMC and wish it was more widely available. Maybe next time. If anything new breaks or changes with this release, we'll update our listings and this article ASAP.

Both sets are now up for pre-order on Amazon - but don't let that price for the Limited Collector's Edition give you sticker shock. That's pretty darn high so I doubt it's with any kind of sale price included. As always your preorders through our affiliate links are very much appreciated, they go a long way towards keeping our little operation up and running.

For more information, we've included the press release below:

Paramount Pictures Celebrates the 50^thAnniversary of
Francis Ford Coppola’s Cinematic Masterpiece

Experience the Acclaimed Classic

in Theatres and on Home Entertainment Platforms

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – January 13, 2022 — In celebration of the 50^thanniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award^®-winning^*masterworkThe Godfather, Paramount Pictures announced today that the film will have a limited theatrical release in Dolby Vision beginning February 25, 2022 exclusively in Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres in the U.S., as well as in international territories around the world. All three films in the epic trilogy have been meticulously restored under the direction of Coppola and will be made available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever on March 22, 2022.

“I am very proud ofThe Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Francis Ford Coppola. “With this 50th anniversary tribute, I’m especially proudMario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleoneis 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.”

Coppola’s masterful film adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel chronicles the rise and fall of the Corleone family and the film trilogy is rightfully viewed as one of the greatest in cinematic history. In preparation for the 50^thanniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, Paramount and Coppola’s production company American Zoetrope undertook a painstaking restoration of all three films over the course of three years.

Every effort was made to create the finest possible presentation for today’s audiences who can watch the films using technology that has advanced dramatically since 2007 when the last restoration was completed by eminent film historian and preservationist Robert Harris. Using that work as a blueprint, the team spent thousands of hours to ensure that every frame was evaluated to create the most pristine presentation while remaining true to the original look and feel of the films.

The monumental effort included the following:

• Over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for every frame of all three films.
• Over 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears, and other anomalies in the negatives.
• Over 1,000 hours were spent on rigorous color correction to ensure the high dynamic range tools were respectful of the original vision of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
• In addition to the 5.1 audio approved by Walter Murch in 2007, the original mono tracks onThe GodfatherandThe Godfather: Part IIhave been restored.
• All work was overseen by Coppola.

“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.”

Newly restored and remastered in Dolby Vision, all three films in the landmark trilogy will be released together with HDR-10 on 4K Ultra HD Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray^™for the first time ever. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set will includeThe Godfather,The Godfather: Part II, and Coppola’s recently re-edited version of the final film,Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. The disc set includes legacy commentaries by Coppola, as well as access to Digital copies ofThe Godfather, The Godfather: Part IIandMario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.

In addition to the widely available 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set, a 4K Ultra HD Limited Collector’s Edition will also be released in deluxe packaging and includes a hardcover coffee table book featuring stunning photographs, as well as portrait art prints on archival paper. Both 4K Ultra HD sets include new bonus content including an introduction toThe Godfatherby Coppola, a featurette about the preservation process, photos by acclaimed photographer Steve Schapiro, home movie footage, and comparisons of the new restoration to earlier versions of the films. A full list of new and legacy bonus content follows:

NEW BONUS CONTENT:

·Introduction toThe Godfatherby Francis Ford Coppola

·Full Circle: PreservingThe Godfather—Paramount Pictures archivists detail the incredible restoration process with archival footage showing the evolution of the film through various home entertainment incarnations as picture and audio technologies make quantum leaps over the decades.

·Capturing the Corleones: Through the Lens of Photographer Steve Schapiro— In this reflective and frank discussion, special photographer Steve Schapiro shares his unique perspective and cherished memories as a witness to the making of this seminal film. Commentary on curated archival images makes for a fascinating, never-before-seen addition to the production’s history.

·The Godfather:Home Movies— An assortment of 8mm home movie footage shot in 1971 offers a candid glimpse into the production ofThe Godfather. Shot on location at the Norton family estate on Staten Island’s Emerson Hill, this is the first time it’s been made available to the public.

·Restoration Comparisons— Before and after highlights showcase extensive picture quality improvements toThe Godfather.

LEGACY BONUS CONTENT:

• The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t
• Godfather World
• Emulsional Rescue—RevealingThe Godfather
• …when the shooting stopped
• The Godfatheron the Red Carpet
• Four Short Films onThe Godfather

oThe Godfathervs.The Godfather: Part II

oCannoli

oRiffing on the Riffing

oClemenza

·The Family Tree

·Crime Organization Chart

·Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album

·2008 Credits

·Behind the Scenes

oA Look Inside

oOn Location

oFrancis Ford Coppola’s Notebook

oMusic ofThe Godfather

§Nino Rota

§Carmine Coppola

oCoppola & Puzo on Screenwriting

oGordon Willis on Cinematography

oStoryboards –The Godfather: Part II

oStoryboards –The Godfather: Part III

oThe GodfatherBehind the Scenes 1971

·Additional Scenes

·Galleries

·Trailers

·Acclaim & Response

·Additional Material

·The Filmmakers

·The Godfather: Part III—newly remastered and restored versions of the original theatrical cut and Coppola’s 1991 cut (note: these are exclusive to the 4K Ultra HD Collections)

Newly restored and remastered versions ofThe Godfather, The Godfather: Part II,andMario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleonewill also be available together on Blu-ray^™with access to Digital copies and the new and legacy bonus content detailed above.

Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)

The Godfather Trilogy - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Limited Collector's Edition (Ultra HD)

The Godfather Trilogy - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (Ultra HD)