History of Francis Ford Coppola in Timeline
Francis Ford Coppola is a highly influential American filmmaker, a key figure in the New Hollywood era and a pioneer of the gangster film genre. He is considered one of cinema's greatest directors. His work has earned him five Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Palmes d'Or. Coppola has also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Kennedy Center Honors, and the AFI Life Achievement Award, solidifying his legacy in film.
1941: Release of Citizen Kane
In 1941, Citizen Kane was released and later ranked higher than The Godfather on the American Film Institute's inaugural AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list.
1942: Release of Casablanca
In 1942, Casablanca was released and it ranked higher than The Godfather on the American Film Institute's inaugural AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list.
1945: Beginning of Corleone Family Saga
In 1945, The Godfather's narrative begins, showcasing the Corleone family's operations and the start of their ventures, laying the foundation for the Mafia dynasty's expansion.
1945: The Godfather Part II Timeline
In 1945, the Godfather Part II shows the early manhood of Vito Corleone, beginning the span of almost seventy years covered in the film.
1966: Influence of Blowup
In 1966, Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup influenced Coppola's film The Conversation. It was an inspiration for its themes and techniques.
1974: Harry Caul in The Conversation
In 1974, Harry Caul, from Coppola's The Conversation, mirrors Coppola's obsessive control.
1974: Release of The Conversation and Palme d'Or
In 1974, The Conversation, directed by Coppola, was released, gaining attention for its themes of surveillance. It won Coppola his first Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival that year.
1979: Premiere of Apocalypse Now at Cannes
In 1979, Apocalypse Now premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it shared the Palme d'Or and later won Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Sound.
1979: Original release of Apocalypse Now
In 1979, the original version of 'Apocalypse Now' was released, which would later be revisited by Coppola to create new director's cuts.
1982: Release and Failure of One from the Heart
In 1982, Coppola released One from the Heart, which was pioneering in its video-editing techniques but resulted in a disastrous box-office gross.
1982: The Godfather Part III Origin
In 1982, the failure of 'One from the Heart' pushed Coppola to make The Godfather: Part III.
1983: Directing The Outsiders
In 1983, Coppola directed The Outsiders, an adaptation of S. E. Hinton's novel, inspired by middle school students. The film launched the careers of several young actors and the score included "Stay Gold" by Stevie Wonder.
1983: Zoetrope Studio Sold
In 1983, due to financial difficulties following the failure of 'One from the Heart', Coppola was forced to sell the Zoetrope Studio.
1984: Directing The Cotton Club
In 1984, Coppola directed The Cotton Club, which was nominated for several awards but failed at the box office. Also, he directed "Rip Van Winkle" for Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre.
1986: Directing Captain EO and Release of Peggy Sue Got Married
In 1986, Coppola directed Captain EO for Disney theme parks and released the comedy Peggy Sue Got Married, which was a box-office success and earned Kathleen Turner an Oscar nomination. He also left Writers Guild of America West.
1988: Comparison to Big
In 1988, the movie 'Big', starring Tom Hanks, which also featured a child in a grown man's body, was released and was later unfavorably compared to Coppola's 'Jack'.
1989: Directing Life Without Zoë for New York Stories
In 1989, Coppola directed the "Life Without Zoë" segment for the anthology film New York Stories, co-written with his daughter Sofia, which was poorly received by critics.
1990: Release of The Godfather Part III
In 1990, Coppola released The Godfather Part III, intended as an epilogue to the first two films. It was commercially successful but received mixed reviews and failed to win any of its seven Academy Award nominations.
1990: Zoetrope Studios Files for Bankruptcy
In 1990, Zoetrope Studios filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and subsequently changed its name to American Zoetrope.
1991: Release of Hearts of Darkness Documentary
In 1991, the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, chronicling the difficult production of Apocalypse Now, was released.
1995: The Rainmaker Novel
In 1995, John Grisham's novel 'The Rainmaker' was published, which served as the basis for Coppola's film of the same name.
August 9, 1996: Release of Jack
On August 9, 1996, Coppola's film 'Jack', starring Robin Williams, was released. The film received negative reviews and wasn't a box-office success.
1996: Cannes Film Festival Jury President
In 1996, Coppola served as the jury president at the Cannes Film Festival.
1997: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list
In 1997, The Godfather was ranked third on the American Film Institute's inaugural AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list, behind Citizen Kane and Casablanca.
October 1999: MGM Decides to Sell Supernova
In October 1999, after Coppola's re-edited version of 'Supernova' received negative test screenings, MGM decided to sell the film.
January 17, 2000: Supernova Film Release
On January 17, 2000, the film 'Supernova' was released, almost two years later than initially planned, after Coppola supervised the re-editing.
2001: Apocalypse Now Redux Release
In 2001, 'Apocalypse Now Redux,' a new version of the film restoring 49 minutes of footage, was released in cinemas and later on DVD.
2002: Ranking on Sight & Sound's List
In 2002, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II together were ranked No. 4 on Sight & Sound's list of the ten greatest films of all time.
2005: Release of The Outsiders: The Complete Novel
In 2005, Coppola created a new cut of 'The Outsiders' for home video, titled 'The Outsiders: The Complete Novel', adding more footage and new music.
2006: Deluxe DVD Release
In 2006, both the theatrical cut and 'Apocalypse Now Redux' were collected on a deluxe DVD.
2007: Youth Without Youth Release
In 2007, Coppola returned to directing after a ten-year hiatus with 'Youth Without Youth', which received negative reviews and had a limited release.
2007: The Godfather Moves to Second Place on AFI List
In 2007, The Godfather moved to second place on the American Film Institute's AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list, surpassing Casablanca but remaining behind Citizen Kane.
2009: Release of Tetro
In 2009, Coppola released 'Tetro', a film set in Argentina, which received generally positive reviews from critics.
2011: Twixt Film Festival Release
In late 2011, 'Twixt' was released to film festivals.
2012: Theatrical Release of Twixt
In early 2012, 'Twixt' received a theatrical release and garnered critical acclaim in France, but mostly negative reviews elsewhere.
2015: Discovery of The Cotton Club Betamax Tape
In 2015, Coppola discovered an old Betamax tape with his original cut of 'The Cotton Club' and decided to restore it.
July 2016: Distant Vision Testing at UCLA
In July 2016, proof of concepts for 'Distant Vision' were tested at the UCLA School of Theater.
2017: Completion of The Cotton Club Encore Restoration
In 2017, the restoration of 'The Cotton Club' was completed.
April 2019: Announcement of Megalopolis
In April 2019, Coppola announced his plans to direct 'Megalopolis', a longstanding passion project, about the aftermath and reconstruction of New York City after a mega-disaster.
2019: Premiere of The Cotton Club Encore
In 2019, 'The Cotton Club Encore' premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.
2019: Release of The Final Cut
In 2019, Coppola released 'The Final Cut', another director's cut of 'Apocalypse Now', which removed 20 minutes of footage and restored the film from the original negative.
September 2020: Announcement of New Cut of The Godfather Part III
In September 2020, it was announced that a new cut of The Godfather Part III, titled Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, would be released.
December 2020: Release of Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone
In December 2020, Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone had a limited theatrical release followed by digital and Blu-ray releases.
December 2020: The Godfather Coda Limited Theatrical Release
In December 2020, a re-edit of 'Godfather III', titled 'The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone', had a limited theatrical release.
August 2021: Discussions with actors for Megalopolis
In August 2021, it was announced that Coppola had begun discussions with actors for the project 'Megalopolis', aiming to begin principal photography in the fall of 2022.
2021: The Godfather Coda Digital and Blu-ray Release
In 2021, 'The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone' was released digitally and on Blu-ray.
April 2022: Filming Schedule for Megalopolis
In April 2022, it was reported that filming for 'Megalopolis' was scheduled to take place from September 6, 2022, to February 2, 2023.
May 2022: Star Cast Revealed for Megalopolis
In May 2022, the star cast for 'Megalopolis' was revealed: Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, and Laurence Fishburne.
September 6, 2022: Original Filming Start Date for Megalopolis
On September 6, 2022, the original filming start date for 'Megalopolis' was set to begin.
November 2022: New Filming Start Date for Megalopolis
In November 2022, it was reported that filming for 'Megalopolis' would begin at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, Georgia.
2022: Ranking on Sight and Sound Poll
In 2022, Apocalypse Now was ranked Number 19 on the Sight and Sound poll, further solidifying its reputation as a masterpiece.
2022: B'Twixt Now and Sunrise Re-Release
In 2022, Coppola's shortened version of his film 'Twixt', titled 'B'Twixt Now and Sunrise', was given a select re-release.
February 2, 2023: Original Filming End Date for Megalopolis
February 2, 2023, was originally scheduled as the end date for the 'Megalopolis' filming.
February 29, 2024: Megalopolis IMAX Release
On February 29, 2024, it was reported that 'Megalopolis' would be released in IMAX in Fall 2024.
April 9, 2024: Megalopolis Cannes Film Festival Premiere
On April 9, 2024, it was revealed that 'Megalopolis' would be premiering in competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
August 2024: Coppola's Post-Megalopolis Plans
In August 2024, Coppola stated he is not going to retire after the release of 'Megalopolis', and he intends to work on 'The Glimpses of the Moon' and 'Distant Vision'.
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