Francis Ford Coppola is one of the most revered directors in Hollywood. He enjoyed tremendous success with the Godfather franchise, even if the third and final installment polarized the fans. Regardless, the filmmaker won critical acclaim, and it engraved his name in the annals of cinema history.
Coppola can be credited for adapting the book for the big screen so flawlessly, with each role carefully chosen. However, the production for the third film was mired in problems, accentuated by the fact that Robert Duvall refused to return to complete the trilogy.
Why did Robert Duvall turn down Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather 3?
Francis Ford Coppola established himself as an esteemed director quite early on in his career. He put together an incredible lineup that brought Mario Puzo’s novel to life, with Al Pacino and Marlon Brando leading the cast. Robert Duvall was also an integral part of the films, but he was not game when Coppola asked him to return to film the third installment.
The actor played the trusted advisor, Tom Hagen, in the first two films. There was a gap of 16 years between the second and third films, and Hagen’s absence was explained as the character dying in the time period between. In truth, Duvall turned down Coppola’s offer.
Money was the singular factor that affected Duvall’s decision. Al Pacino was naturally the highest-paid among the cast since he was the protagonist, and his salary saw a considerable increase after the first film’s success. Parade reported that by the time the third film came around, the actor was paid nearly $5 million, but the amount may have been higher.
In an interview with CBS, Duvall explained his decision to sit out of the third film. He stated that the amount he asked for was in line with his role and significance to the franchise. Duvall told Reuters that he did not miss filming the final installment since it was not up to par with the first two films. Moreover, he recalled how the director was more interested in a crab cake recipe than whether he would appear in the film or not.
“Mr Coppola came to my house in Virginia. He always wanted my mother’s Maryland crab cake recipe. So I wrote it down for him and we talked about Godfather III. Then he left and forgot the recipe. He called me more concerned about the recipe than whether I would do Godfather III,“ he said.
The first two films of the franchise remain two of the greatest films ever made. The third film, however, polarized many, and the production troubles did not help either.
The Godfather 3 had a troubled production
Coppola enjoyed a successful run as a filmmaker with four back-to-back hits, including The Conversation and Apocalypse Now. This allowed him the space to make films on subjects that were close to his heart.
His more creative pursuits saw him on the verge of bankruptcy. His 1982 musical, One From The Heart, underperformed massively. He had funded the film with his own Zoetrope Studios, but he had to sell it to prevent financial debt. The Outsiders and New York Stories bombed at the box office, raising questions about his artistic skills.
The saga around the Corleone family was very intriguing, but Al Pacino was getting tired of the role. Even Coppola did not want to make a third film, since the first two were perfect films in their own right.
The third and final film of the franchise was criticized, and it even failed to rake in the moolah, unlike its predecessors. Most importantly, the films had created such high expectations, that when the final installment did not live up to the hype, it was panned.
The Godfather films can be streamed on Apple TV+.
