Fans of The Godfather were stunned to learn the film had a very different cast shortly before filming began.
The Hollywood classic has an all-star cast including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Diane Keaton, but most fans may not realise these roles were close to being portrayed by completely different actors.
Director Francis Ford Coppola reportedly fought for the cast which ended up bringing the film to life, including Pacino, who was nearly fired just a week into production. A clip of a making-of documentary was posted to TikTok and saw film directors and historians share how Coppola had fought for his vision.
Pacino recently confirmed he was nearly fired from the film just a week after starting, with Coppola telling him his work was below par. He said: “I felt that one in the pit of my stomach. It’s when it finally hit me that my job was on the line. I said to Francis, ‘What do we do here?’
“He said, ‘I put together rushes of what we’ve shot already. Why don’t you take a look at it yourself? Because I don’t think it’s working. You’re not working.'”
While Pacino may have struggled with the role, veteran actor Brando was also a problem for producers. Both Pacino and Brando were considered the wrong fit for the part by Paramount.
A documentary on the making of The Godfather saw fellow film director Steven Spielberg confirm Coppola had to “fight” every day to keep the film from being influenced by producers.
He said: “Francis had to fight every day to get his vision on screen.” Fellow director George Lucas added: “There were various people on the crew trying to take over the production. I used to say a big part of that movie was Coppola standing up for what he wanted and holding his ground.”
Fans were relieved to hear Coppola fought for his vision and kept his original casting choices. One user wrote: “Imagine how inauthentic it would be if they didn’t let his vision be seen.”
Another asked: “I wonder who they wanted instead of Pacino and Brando?” Author Mark Seal has since shed light on who the studio would have preferred to Brando, with two Hollywood heavyweights considered ideal replacements for the part.
He said: “They wanted Ernest Borgnine or Carlo Ponti, the husband of Sophia Loren. Danny Thomas wanted to buy the project from Paramount and star in it himself.”
Though the producers had wantede Brando replacing, the original author of The Godfather, Mario Puzo, had written Brando a letter saying he was the right man for the role.
Seal recalled: “The author of The Godfather had written a letter to Brando saying, ‘You’re the only actor who could play this role with the quiet intensity that it deserves or requires’.” Brando went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Similar problems for Pacino appeared too, with Coppola fighting for the future Academy Award winner to keep his place in the movie. Seal added: “Nobody wanted Al Pacino, except for Coppola. Coppola said every time he thought about those scenes in Sicily, he saw the face of Al Pacino flash before his mind.”
Diane Keaton, too, faced pushback from the studio. She beat out Karen Black, Tuesday Weld, Blythe Danner and Michelle Phillips, to star in the trilogy.