As 2022 is the 50th anniversary year for The Godfather, a restored version of the film is returning to theaters for a limited time next month.
Unbelievably, it’s been fifty years since The Godfather first made its mark on the world. To celebrate such a momentous anniversary, the film, along with the rest of the Godfather trilogy, has been meticulously restored and will be returning to theaters for a limited engagement starting February 25, 2022.
One should note, it’s only the first Godfather film that’s returning to theaters, though the entire trilogy is being released on 4K Ultra HD on March 22, 2022.
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.
RESTORATION DETAILS
- 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 on he Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have been restored.
- All work was overseen by Coppola.
Are you excited to see the restored version of The Godfather return to theaters next month?
