Initially released in cinemas in March 1972, we probably don't need to tell you the impact The Godfather had on cinema.
Francis Ford Coppola's epic crime saga was produced for just $6 million (about $40 million in today's money), it banked $285 million at the worldwide box office (or about $1.9 billion today, about the same as Avengers: Infinity War).
It was nominated for eleven Oscars, but surprisingly only won three of them - Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor (for Marlon Brando) - with Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan all missing out on Best Supporting Actor (they lost to Joel Grey for his role in Cabaret), and Coppola also lost out on Best Director (which went to Bob Fosse, also for Cabaret).
At the time of writing, it is standing at No.2 on IMDb's top-rated movies of all time, right below The Shawshank Redemption and right above The Godfather Part II.
It is, inarguably, one of the greatest movies ever made, and to celebrate its 50th anniversary of release, it is getting 4k re-release in Irish cinemas from Friday, 25 February.
Following this limited run, the entire restored Godfather Trilogy will be made available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever in late March.
Of this restoration re-release, Coppola said the following:
"I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative lifeWith 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."
Check out the newly restored trailer for the cinematic release of The Godfather right here:
Clip via Paramount Pictures UK
