The Godfather made between $250 and $291 million at the box office. It was, for a while, the highest-grossing movie ever made and the highest-grossing movie of 1972. On March 24, 1972, The Godfather was released in the United States after having its debut on March 14, 1972, at the Loew's State Theatre.
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic gangster movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the script with Mario Puzo, modeled on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, and Diane Keaton are among the ensemble cast members of the movie.
The first part of The Godfather trilogy tells the story of the Corleone family from 1945 to 1955 under the leadership of Vito Corleone (Brando). The main focus is on how his youngest son, Michael Corleone (played by Pacino), changes from a hesitant family outsider to a vicious mafia boss.
Theatrical release and earnings of The Godfather
At the box office, The Godfather earned anywhere between $250 and $291 million. It was the highest-grossing film of 1972 and, for a while, the highest-grossing film ever made.
Nearly three months after its scheduled release date on Christmas Day in 1971, The Godfather made its global debut on Tuesday, March 14, 1972, at Loews' State Theatre in New York City. The earnings from the premiere were donated to The Boys Club of New York. With advance rentals from more than 400 cinemas, the movie had already earned $15 million before its release.
The movie debuted the next day in five New York theatres: Loew's State I and II, Orpheum, Cine, and Tower East. The Imperial Theatre in Toronto followed on March 17 and two locations in Los Angeles followed on March 22. Five days later, on March 24, 1972, The Godfather was released in 316 cinemas across the remainder of the United States.
How well received was The Godfather?
Numerous critics have praised The Godfather, which is regarded as one of the best and most influential movies ever made, especially in the gangster genre. Based on 151 reviews, the movie has a 97% approval rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 9.4/10.
According to the critics of the website, "One of Hollywood's greatest critical and commercial successes, The Godfather gets everything right; not only did the movie transcend expectations, it established new benchmarks for American cinema." The movie has received "universal acclaim" with a score of 100 out of 100 from 16 critic reviews, according to Metacritic, which adopts a weighted average.
Al Pacino and Marlon Brando were nominated for Best Actor – Drama, and the movie was also nominated for Best Score, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Picture – Drama, and James Caan for Best Supporting Actor. The Godfather was nominated for seven Golden Globes. The movie won Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor – Drama (Brando), Best Original Score, and Best Picture – Drama when the winners were revealed on January 28, 1973. The film as well as the cast received several other nominations and awards.
FAQs about The Godfather
Critics and viewers alike applauded The Godfather for its directing, script, story, photography, editing, score, depiction of the mafia, and acting, especially for Brando's and Pacino's performances.
Yes, The Godfather was a successful movie. It became the highest-grossing movie of all time in 1972 after grossing over $270 million. Despite their success, the sequels fell short of the original's peak earnings, with Part II making $57 million and Part III $66 million.
Yes, The Godfather is definitely worth watching. Based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name, this mafia thriller is considered by many to be among the best movies ever made.
Viewers can watch The Godfather on Paramount Plus, Netflix, Prime and Pluto TV.
