Francis Ford Coppola

Born:

April 7, 1939

My movie is not about Vietnam. My movie is Vietnam.

Biography:

Francis grew up in New York, where he developed an early interest in filmmaking. During the sixties he made eight not so successfully movies.

His big break came in 1972 with The Godfather followed by The Godfather II and The conversation. Unfortunately, his next major project, the mammoth Apocalypse Now nearly broke Coppola, financially and spiritually. The final blow came with One from the heart and the Cottonclub. Coppola's Zoetroop studio's filed for bankruptcy and was sold in 1983.

He made smaller, but still artistic films like Rumble fish (1983) and Peggy Sue got married (1986). Finally, he succumbed to commercial pressure and agreed to make The Godfather, Part III (1990).

1992's lavish adaptation Bram_Stoker's_Dracula was a hit, restoring much of Coppola's box-office lustre.

After The Rainmaker (1997), Coppola stepped away from directing for a time. He focused much of his energies on other ventures, especially his California winery. Finally, in 2007, he emerged from directorial retirement for the drama Youth without youth. Critics were disappointed with the film, but Coppola was undeterred, going on to direct Tetro

Coppola has many relatives in entertainment. His sister is actress Talia Shire, and his nephew is actor Nicolas Cage. In addition to daughter Sofia, he and wife Eleanor also have a son named Roman who directs and acts as well. Their late son, Gian-Carlo Coppola, was an actor.

The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Apocalypse now (1979)
The conversation (1974)
Patton (1970)
The Godfather: Part III (1990)
Rumble Fish (1983)
Tetro (2009)
Dracula (1992)
The outsiders (1983)

The Bellboy and the Playgirls (1962)
Tonight for sure (1962)
The Terror (1963)
Dementia 13 (1963)
You’re a big boy now (1966)
Finian’s rainbow (1968)
The Rain People (1969)
Patton (1970)
The Godfather (1972)
The conversation (1974)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Apocalypse now (1979)
One from the heart (1982)
The outsiders (1983)
Rumble Fish (1983)
The Cotton Club (1984)
Captain EO (1986)
Peggy Sue got married (1986)
Gardens of stone (1987)
Tucker: The man and his dream (1988)
New York stories (1989)
The Godfather: Part III (1990)
Dracula (1992)
Jack (1996)
The rainmaker (1997)
Youth without youth (2007)
Tetro (2009)
Twixt (2011)

Academy awards:

1991 Nominated Best Director for: The Godfather: Part III (1990)
1991 Nominated Best Picture for: The Godfather: Part III (1990)
1980 Nominated Best Director for: Apocalypse Now (1979)
1980 Nominated Best Picture for: Apocalypse Now (1979)
1980 Nominated Best Writing for: Apocalypse Now (1979)
1975 Won Best Director for: The Godfather: Part II (1974)
1975 Won Best Picture for: The Godfather: Part II (1974)
1975 Won Best Writing for: The Godfather: Part II (1974)
1975 Nominated Best Picture for: The Conversation (1974)
1975 Nominated Best Writing for: The Conversation (1974)
1974 Nominated Best Picture for: American Graffiti (1973)
1973 Won Best Writing for: The Godfather (1972)
1973 Nominated Best Director for: The Godfather (1972)
1971 Won Best Writing for: Patton (1970)

Bibliography » Books:

Bibliography » Web:

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Blu-ray.com - Peggy Sue got married Blu-ray
Deadline - Coppola shooting new horror film
Digital fix - The conversation hits blu-ray in October
Empire - A new video game
Empire - The Godfather is the best film
Gandul (Romanian) - Coppola is called for
Guardian - The Conversation on TV?
High-def digest - Coppola and Blu-ray
High-def digest - Francis Ford Coppola: 5-Film Collection
IMDB - IMDB Francis Coppola
Indie wire - Twixt coming to Blu-ray in the USA
Los Angeles Times - Francis Coppola gets an Honorary Oscar
Los Angeles Times - Coppola's 23-year-old music video
Palazzomargherita - Francis Ford Coppola opens new hotel
Sign on San Diego - Coppola to return to Comic-Con
Sydney Morning Herald - Spielberg took care of The Godftaher
Tetro - Coppola films himself
The wrap - Francis Coppola gets an Honorary Oscar
Variety - Coppola’s new film
WikipideA - WikipedeA -> Francis Coppola

News

This week 36 years ago The Godfather premiered in South Korea (May 25, 1977)

-May 20, 2013
Francis Coppola's Twixt is hitting DVD and Blu-ray from Fox Home Entertainment on July 30th. Special features have yet to be announced. Written and directed by Coppola, the film concerns a writer with a declining career who arrives in a small town as part of his book tour and gets caught up in a murder mystery involving a young girl.
Source / More (Web)

-April 05, 2013
Francis Ford Coppola's romantic fantasy flick Peggy Sue Got Married is coming to Blu-ray July 30. Peggy Sue faints at a Highschool reunion. When she wakes up she finds herself in her own past, just before she finished school. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed.
Source / More (Web)

More news!

Trivia

The outsiders was made because of group of students wrote to Coppola and asked him to make a movie based on their favorite book, The outsiders.
--Source: Whom God Wishes to Destroy--Francis Coppola and the New Hollywood, Page 96

When Paramount bought DreamWorks, owned by Steven Spielberg, Coppola wrote to him, suggesting he might ask Paramount to restore the negatives of The Godfather. Spielberg appears to have made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Source / More (Web)

The original plan for Apocalypse now was that George Lucas would direct and Coppola produce. When Coppola wanted a greater share of the profits, Lucas ended his five year partnership: “It was as if we were married and we got divorced. It’s as close a relationship as I’ve had with anybody”
--Source: Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola, Page 145

The conversation is Coppola’s favorite from his own movies.
--Source: Francis Ford Coppola: Interviews, Page 148

First Coppola thought that his sister was wrong for the part of Connie in The Godfather (1972): “I thought Tally was to beautiful to be Connie Corleone. The whole idea was that Connie was somewhat plain, and here came Carlo, a good-looking guy, marrying the Don’s homely daughter”.
--Source: Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker’s Life, Page 103

In 1975 Francis was very frustrated that he couldn’t get his next project, Apocalypse now off the ground. So he flung his five Academy awards into his courtyard smashing four of them to pieces.
--Source: Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker’s Life, Page 197

Actor Anthony Hopkins was asked to play Van Helsing in Dracula (1992). But after watching Hearts of darkness (1991) he had his doubts: “My God, is this really the man I’m going to work with?”.
--Source: Anthony Hopkins: The Authorized Biography, Page 179

Since 1978, Francis owns a California vineyard making Rubicon wine.
--Source: A Companion to California Wine, Page 238

John Milius wrote the screenplay for Apocalypse now and wanted to direct. Coppola planned to rewrite his screenplay and then direct it himself. Milius called him “The Bay Area Mussolini”.
--Source: Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola, Page 145

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