Posted Thu Jan 13, 2022 at 07:21 AM PST by Matthew Hartman
As the trailer above indicates, the festivities of this 50th Anniversary celebration kicks off with The Godfather returning to theaters for a limited engagement in Dolby Vision screens exclusively at AMC theaters across the country on February 25th, 2022. Click HERE for more info 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 bringing The Godfather Trilogy to 4K ultra HD Blu-ray on March 22 in a Standard Trilogy release and Limited Collector's Edition. The set will of course include The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and the recently re-edited and cumbersomely retitled Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. From the press release, it does not look like the original Theatrical Cut of The Godfather Part III is making it to the format. We've asked for clarification on that point and will update if that's any different.
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 for The Godfather and The 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 when Zavvi 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 for The Godfather and The Godfather Part 2
- We'll also get all THREE cuts of The Godfather Part III - how that breaks out is ONE disc for Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone and then another disc for The Godfather Part III Theatrical Cut and The Godfather Part III Director's Cut from 1991.
How that all breaks down is ONE Disc for The Godfather, ONE Disc for The Godfather Part II, TWO Discs for all three of the different cuts of The Godfather Part III with one final disc to cover all of the legacy bonus features that are listed in the press release below.
Now that very expensive 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 of The Godfather Legacy featuring The Godfather and The Godfather Part II edited together as one long movie experience as 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 50th Anniversary 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 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award®-winning* masterwork The 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 of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Francis Ford Coppola. “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.”
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 50th anniversary 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:
“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 include The 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 of The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II and Mario 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 to The Godfather by 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 to The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola
· Full Circle: Preserving The 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 of The 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 to The Godfather.
LEGACY BONUS CONTENT:
o The Godfather vs. The Godfather: Part II
o Cannoli
o Riffing on the Riffing
o Clemenza
· The Family Tree
· Crime Organization Chart
· Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album
· 2008 Credits
· Behind the Scenes
o A Look Inside
o On Location
o Francis Ford Coppola’s Notebook
o Music of The Godfather
§ Nino Rota
§ Carmine Coppola
o Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
o Gordon Willis on Cinematography
o Storyboards – The Godfather: Part II
o Storyboards – The Godfather: Part III
o The Godfather Behind 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 of The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, and Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone will also be available together on Blu-ray™ with access to Digital copies and the new and legacy bonus content detailed above.
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