Francis Ford Coppola's new cut of The Godfather Part III is shorter than the original

Francis Ford Coppola’s final entry in the Godfather trilogy is getting the director's cut treatment. And while you may be inclined to think that means the movie will be longer (after all, Zack Snyder's Justice League is now a multi-part streaming series), that's not the case with the Godfather Part III.

Collider reports that studio insiders have seen the new cut of the movie – which has been re-titled The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (the original title Coppola wanted) – and that the runtime is shorter than the original version. The new director’s cut clocks in at 157 minutes, whereas the original Godfather Part III has a runtime of 162 mins. 

So, which five minutes have been annexed from the movie? We'll have to wait and see, though we hope the famous "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in" scene remains intact. The Death of Michael Corleone reaches cinemas this December to mark the movie's 30th anniversary. 

Coppola said of the release: “‘Mario Puzo’s The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone’ is an acknowledgement of [screenwriter] Mario’s and my preferred title and our original intentions for what became The Godfather: Part III.

“For this version of the finale, I created a new beginning and ending, and rearranged some scenes, shots, and music cues. With these changes and the restored footage and sound, to me, it is a more appropriate conclusion to The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II.”

The issues with the original Godfather Part III were numerous, at least behind-the-scenes. The likes of Winona Ryder dropped out after being cast, while Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter Sofia was later brought in. While we await the new version, be sure to check out the best Netflix movies and best movies on Amazon Prime.