The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the best American films of all time, but The Offer, a new limited series premiering on Paramount Plus in April, will focus on the tale behind the film’s creation. Given that the 1972 film will be 50 years old in 2022, it’s only fitting (which itself is getting a re-release in movie theatres on Feb. 25).
When The Godfather was first released, the film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starred Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Talia Shire, and John Cazale. It won Best Picture and Best Actor for Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone at the Academy Awards (which we famously did not accept).
It’s easy to see how all of those elements came together to make a fantastic film in retrospect, but as The Offer will demonstrate, that wasn’t the case when they were putting it all together.
The Godfather’s background is so extensive that you could definitely develop a movie that covers all three films in the family tale (especially with the recent reworkings of Part III to The Godfather Coda). The Offer, on the other hand, is focusing on the original film.
On March 24, 1972, The Godfather was released in theatres. The Offer will be released fifty years and one month later. On Thursday, April 28, the first three episodes of The Offer will be available to stream on Paramount Plus; the limited series will include a total of ten episodes.
Following the three-episode premiere on April 28, additional episodes of The Offer will air every Thursday for the next seven weeks. This means that the finale will premiere on June 16 on Paramount Plus.
The plot of ‘The Offer’:
Whether it was in publications like producer Robert Evans’ The Kid Stays in the Picture or Vanity Fair writer Mark Seal’s Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli, a lot of stories about the making of The Godfather have been recounted over the years. The Offer, on the other hand, is based on producer Albert S. Ruddy’s “unique experiences” while working on The Godfather. That’s actually all the information we have about The Offer’s plot so far, but as you can see in the teaser below, there’s a lot going on as the pieces of The Godfather come together.
Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy leads the way in The Offer. In May 2021, he was cast to replace Armie Hammer, who was accused of sexual assault following the release of The Social Network. Teller is most recognized for his roles in the films The Spectacular Now, Whiplash, and The Divergent Series; he’s also a member of the cast of Top Gun: Maverick, the much-awaited sequel.
Matthew Goode (A Discovery of Witches, The Imitation Game) portrays producer Robert Evans, Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) portrays Hollywood agent Betty McCartt, Giovanni Ribisi (Sneaky Pete, Avatar) portrays notorious mobster Joe Colombo, Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts series) portrays director Francis Ford Coppola, Burn Gorman (The Expanse, Enola Holmes) portrays Gulf + Western owner Charles.
In addition, The Offer will feature several members of the famous cast as well as other well-known celebrities. Justin Chambers portrays Marlon Brando, while Anthony Ippolito portrays Al Pacino, Brandon Sklenar portrays Burt Reynolds, Jean Watts portrays Ann Margaret, Kyleen Likas portrays Raquel Welch, and Frank John Hughes portrays Frank Sinatra.
Is “The Offer” based on a true story?
Mario Puzo first published The Godfather as a crime book in 1969.
In 1972, Francis Ford Coppola directed a film adaptation of the book, which was met with a lot of controversies.
With an ensemble cast, the miniseries will dramatize that production.
The title of the miniseries was inspired by a statement written for Marlon Brando’s character Vito Corleone, who said in relation to a threat he would later issue to a studio executive, “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” For his depiction of the Corleone crime family patriarch, Brando won the Academy Award for Best Actor. The Godfather was immediately hailed as one of the best films of all time upon its premiere.
The Offer will depict the film’s producer Al Ruddy, Paramount Studio Executive Robert Evans, and now-famous director Francis Ford Coppola in a three-way power struggle.
Ruddy, played by Teller, juggled the chaos of production and studio demands while also collaborating with well-known mob boss Joseph Colombo to improve the film’s reception.
According to Vanity Fair, the miniseries will feature a moment from a true meeting between music mogul Frank Sinatra and author Mario Puzo, in which Sinatra confronted Puzo about his portrayal of mafia-connected singer Johnny Fontaine.
The Corleone family inspired three films, launched Al Pacino’s career, and bestowed to society the phrase “leave the gun, take the cannolis.”
The movie show will give fans an inside peek at one of the industry’s crown jewels. The series’ trailer was shared to Paramount+’s Instagram account.
The Offer is no longer in production, and cast members have announced it on Instagram. Juno Temple, who plays Al Ruddy’s assistant and point woman Bettye McCartt, took to Instagram to celebrate the start of the press tour for the series. On Instagram, Burn Gorman shared an animated animation set to The Godfather’s distinctive trumpet theme. Gorman plays Charles Bluhdorn, President of Paramount Studios. The series poster was shared on Instagram by Colin Hanks, son of actor Tom Hanks.
On April 28, 2022, the Offer will be available exclusively on Paramount Plus.