A Western Icon Was Paramount's First Choice To Direct The Godfather

Story by staff@slashfilm.com (Jeremy Smith)

Image from SlashFilm

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Paramount's surprising first pick to direct The Godfather: an iconic Western filmmaker

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Legendary director John Ford was Paramount's top choice to adapt Mario Puzo's novel for the big screen before Francis Ford Coppola landed the gig
Coppola's vision ultimately won out, but the studio's initial interest in Ford, known for classics like Stagecoach and The Searchers, shows how close The Godfather came to having a very different feel

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John Ford, Francis Ford Coppola, Paramount, The Godfather