View source for Francis Ford Coppola


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{{Infobox person
| name               = Francis Ford Coppola
| image              = Francis Ford Coppola on December 8, 2024 in the White House Oval Office (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Coppola in 2024
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1939|4|7}}
| birth_place        = [[Detroit]], Michigan<!--Do NOT wikilink, see [[MOS:GEOLINK]].-->, U.S.<!--Do NOT wikilink U.S. as per [[MOS:OVERLINK]]. As per [[Template:Infobox person]], birthplace indicates city, state, then country. No need to spell out "United States; 'U.S.' is fine.-->
| education          = {{plainlist|
* [[Hofstra University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
* [[University of California, Los Angeles]] ([[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]])
}}
| occupation         = {{hlist|Film director|producer|screenwriter}}
| years_active       = 1962–present
| works              = [[Francis Ford Coppola filmography|Full list]]
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Eleanor Coppola|Eleanor Neil]]|1963|2024|end=died}}
| children           = {{flatlist|
* [[Gian-Carlo Coppola|Gian-Carlo]]
* [[Roman Coppola|Roman]]
* [[Sofia Coppola|Sofia]]
}}
| father             = [[Carmine Coppola]]
| mother             = [[Italia Pennino]]
| family             = [[Coppola family|Coppola]]
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppola|Full list]]
| signature          = Francis Ford Coppola Signature.svg
}}
'''Francis Ford Coppola''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|oʊ|p|əl|ə}} {{respell|KOH|pə|lə}};<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4l2STOyqDI&t=15s|title=THE GODFATHER, CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE {{!}} Francis Ford Coppola Featurette|publisher=Paramount Pictures|date=November 17, 2020|access-date=April 6, 2022|archive-date=April 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406013526/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4l2STOyqDI&t=15s|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHKUpEp_dNI|title=A Special Message from Director Francis Ford Coppola|publisher=StudioCanal UK|date=September 9, 2021|access-date=April 6, 2022|archive-date=April 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406013527/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHKUpEp_dNI|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojqWclLQOxk&t=58s|title=This Is YouTube|publisher=YouTube|date=March 4, 2010|access-date=April 6, 2022|archive-date=April 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406013812/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojqWclLQOxk&t=58s|url-status=live}}</ref> born April 7, 1939)<ref>{{Britannica|136867}}</ref> is an American filmmaker. One of the leading figures of the [[New Hollywood]], Coppola is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the [[History of film|history of cinema]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/francis-ford-coppola-10-essential-films |title=Francis Ford Coppola: 10 essential films |work=British Film Institute |date=April 5, 2019 |access-date=September 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111221255/https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/francis-ford-coppola-10-essential-films |archive-date=January 11, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 50 greatest directors and their 100 best movies|url=https://ew.com/article/1996/04/19/50-greatest-directors-and-their-100-best-movies/|website=entertainment weekly.com April 19, 1996|access-date=October 27, 2020|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029020507/https://ew.com/article/1996/04/19/50-greatest-directors-and-their-100-best-movies/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BFI – Sight & Sound – Top Ten Poll 2002 Poll – The Critics' Top Ten Directors |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/poll/critics-directors.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623182355/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/poll/critics-directors.html |archive-date=June 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Greatest Directors Ever by ''Total Film'' Magazine |publisher=[[Filmsite.org]] |url=http://www.filmsite.org/greatdirectors-totalfilm2.html |access-date=April 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702113557/http://www.filmsite.org/greatdirectors-totalfilm.html|archive-date=July 2, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 25 Most Influential Directors of All Time|url=https://www.moviemaker.com/25-most-influential-directors-of-all-time-scorsese-kubrick-welles/5/|website=MovieMaker|date=July 7, 2002|access-date=December 2, 2023|archive-date=December 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202161918/https://www.moviemaker.com/25-most-influential-directors-of-all-time-scorsese-kubrick-welles/5/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Greatest Film Directors|url=https://www.filmsite.org/directors.html|website=filmsite.org|access-date=December 2, 2023|archive-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905115334/https://www.filmsite.org/directors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-28 |title=Where to begin with Francis Ford Coppola |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/where-begin-with-francis-ford-coppola |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=BFI |language=en}}</ref>}} [[List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppola|Coppola is the recipient]] of five [[Academy Awards]], a [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Award]], three [[Golden Globe Awards]], and two [[Palme d'Or|Palmes d'Or]], in addition to nominations for two [[Emmy Awards]] and a [[Grammy Award]]. Coppola was honored with the [[Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award]] in 2010, the [[Kennedy Center Honors]] in 2024, and the [[AFI Life Achievement Award]] in 2025.<ref name=KennedyCenter>{{cite web| title=Francis Ford Coppola| work=[[The Kennedy Center]]| url=https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/c/co-cz/francis-ford-coppola/}}</ref>

Coppola started his career directing ''[[Dementia 13]]'' (1963) and co-writing ''[[Patton (film)|Patton]]'' (1970), the latter of which earned him and [[Edmund H. North]] the [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]]. Coppola's reputation as a filmmaker was cemented with the release of ''[[The Godfather]]'' (1972) and ''[[The Godfather Part II]]'' (1974) which both earned Academy Awards for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], and the latter earned him [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]. The films revolutionized the [[gangster film|gangster genre]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Barry |first=Langford |title=Film Genre: Hollywood and Beyond |year=2005 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |page=134}}</ref> Coppola released the thriller ''[[The Conversation]]'' (1974), which received the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[1974 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival]]. 

Coppola's next film, the [[Vietnam War]] epic ''[[Apocalypse Now]]'' (1979), had [[Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse|a notoriously lengthy and strenuous production]] and also won the Palme d'Or, making Coppola [[Palme d'Or#Multiple winners|one of only ten filmmakers to have won the award twice.]] He was responsible for several controversies whilst filming Apocalypse Now, including illegally hiring a grave robber to provide real human corpses for use as props in the film and also the ritualistic killing of a water buffalo.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-07-23 |title=The strained making of 'Apocalypse Now' |url=https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-strained-making-of-apocalypse-now-1758689.html |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> He later directed films such as ''[[The Outsiders (film)|The Outsiders]]'' and ''[[Rumble Fish]]'' (both 1983), [[The Cotton Club (film)|''The Cotton Club'']] (1984), ''[[Peggy Sue Got Married]]'' (1986), ''[[The Godfather Part III]]'' (1990), ''[[Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)|Bram Stoker's Dracula]]'' (1992), and ''[[The Rainmaker (1997 film)|The Rainmaker]]'' (1997). He also produced ''[[American Graffiti]]'' (1973), [[The Black Stallion (film)|''The Black Stallion'']] (1979), and ''[[The Secret Garden (1993 film)|The Secret Garden]]'' (1993). Dissatisfied with the studio system, he transitioned to independent and experimental filmmaking with ''[[Youth Without Youth (film)|Youth Without Youth]]'' (2007), ''[[Tetro]]'' (2009), ''[[Twixt (film)|Twixt]]'' (2011), and ''[[Megalopolis (film)|Megalopolis]]'' (2024).<ref>{{cite news|last=Rubin|first=Rebecca|title=Francis Ford Coppola's $120 Million-Budgeted 'Megalopolis' Could Open to Disappointing $5 Million|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/box-office/francis-ford-coppola-megalopolis-opening-weekend-projections-1236154490/|access-date=March 7, 2025|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=Variety Media, LLC|date=September 25, 2024}}</ref>

Coppola's father [[Carmine Coppola|Carmine]] was a composer whose music featured in his son's films. Many of [[Coppola family|his relatives]] have found success in film: his sister [[Talia Shire]] is an actress, his daughter [[Sofia Coppola|Sofia]] is a director, his son [[Roman Coppola|Roman]] is a screenwriter and his nephews [[Jason Schwartzman]] and [[Nicolas Cage]] are actors.<ref>{{cite magazine| url= https://ew.com/article/2007/12/14/coppola-family-tree/|title= A Coppola family tree| magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date= July 26, 2024|archive-date= August 14, 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240814175346/https://ew.com/article/2007/12/14/coppola-family-tree/|url-status= live}}</ref> Coppola resides in [[Napa, California]], and since the 2010s has been a [[Winemaker|vintner]], owning a family-branded winery of his own.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Olmsted |first1=Larry | url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2013/06/17/qa-francis-ford-coppola-talks-about-his-passion-for-wine/|title=Francis Ford Coppola Explains His Passion For Wine| website= Forbes Magazine| accessdate= July 26, 2024|archive-date= May 14, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140514184821/http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2013/06/17/qa-francis-ford-coppola-talks-about-his-passion-for-wine/|url-status= live}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Francis Ford Coppola was born in [[Detroit]], Michigan, in 1939, to father [[Carmine Coppola]] (1910–1991),<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |title=Carmine Coppola, 80, Conductor And Composer for His Son's Films |first=Wolfgang |last=Saxon |date=April 27, 1991 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/27/obituaries/carmine-coppola-80-conductor-and-composer-for-his-son-s-films.html |access-date=February 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230005701/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/27/obituaries/carmine-coppola-80-conductor-and-composer-for-his-son-s-films.html |archive-date=December 30, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> a [[Flute|flautist]] with the [[Detroit Symphony Orchestra]] and mother [[Italia Coppola]] (née Pennino; 1912–2004), a family of second-generation Italian immigrants. His paternal grandparents came to the United States from [[Bernalda]], Basilicata.<ref name=":1">{{cite book |last=Cowie |first=Peter |title=Coppola: a biography |year=1988 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=978-0-306-80598-1 |page=2 |no-pp=true}}</ref> His maternal grandfather, popular Italian composer Francesco Pennino, emigrated from [[Naples]], Italy.<ref>{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Cabanatuan |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Italia-Coppola-mother-of-filmmaker-2807695.php |title=Italia Coppola – mother of filmmaker |publisher=SFGate |date=January 23, 2004 |access-date=May 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325233748/http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Italia-Coppola-mother-of-filmmaker-2807695.php |archive-date=March 25, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of Coppola's birth, his father was an arranger and assistant orchestra director for ''[[The Ford Sunday Evening Hour]]'', an hour-long concert music radio series sponsored by the [[Ford Motor Company]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1988-08-14/features/8802190745_1_carmine-coppola-preston-tucker-francis-ford-coppola |title=The Dream And Its Men Francis Ford Coppola And George Lucas Immortalize A Legendary Car And Its Inventor on Film |work=Sun Sentinel |date=August 14, 1988 |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616141456/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1988-08-14/features/8802190745_1_carmine-coppola-preston-tucker-francis-ford-coppola |archive-date=June 16, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://partners.nytimes.com/books/first/s/schumacher-coppola.html |title=Francis Ford Coppola |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601060422/http://partners.nytimes.com/books/first/s/schumacher-coppola.html |archive-date=June 1, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Coppola was born at [[Henry Ford Hospital]], and those two connections to [[Henry Ford]] inspired the Coppolas to choose the middle name "Ford" for their son.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Jenny M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4v8REAAAQBAJ&pg=PT26 |title=The Annotated Godfather (50th Anniversary Edition): The Complete Screenplay, Commentary on Every Scene, Interviews, and Little-Known Facts |date=September 21, 2021 |publisher=Running Press |isbn=978-0-7624-7382-3 |language=en |access-date=June 12, 2022 |archive-date=February 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210103504/https://books.google.com/books?id=4v8REAAAQBAJ&pg=PT26#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Delicato |first=Armando |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5YD7HqcR0MC&pg=PA76 |title=Italians in Detroit |date=2005 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-0-7385-3985-0 |language=en |access-date=June 12, 2022 |archive-date=February 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210103621/https://books.google.com/books?id=d5YD7HqcR0MC&pg=PA76#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

Francis is the middle of three children: his older brother was [[August Coppola]], and his younger sister is actress [[Talia Shire]].<ref name=":1" />
[[File:Lena Herzog Francis Ford Coppola Wernder Herzog Venice Film Festival.jpg|thumb|Lena Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola and Werner Herzog attend the "La Grazia" red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Aug. 27, 2025, in Venice, Italy.]]
Two years after Coppola's birth, his father was named principal flutist for the [[NBC Symphony Orchestra]], under the baton of [[Arturo Toscanini]], and the family moved to New York. They settled in [[Woodside, Queens]], where Coppola spent the remainder of his childhood.

Having contracted [[polio]] as a boy, Coppola was bedridden for large periods of his childhood, during which he did homemade puppet theater productions. He developed an interest in theater after reading [[A Streetcar Named Desire (play)|''A Streetcar Named Desire'']] (1947) at age 15.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Interview page 1">{{Cite web |url=https://achievement.org/achiever/francis-ford-coppola/ |title=Francis Ford Coppola |website=Academy of Achievement |access-date=March 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323144840/https://www.achievement.org/achiever/francis-ford-coppola/ |archive-date=March 23, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He created [[8 mm film|8&nbsp;mm]] feature films edited from home movies with titles such as ''The Rich Millionaire'' and ''The Lost Wallet''.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola">{{cite web |url=http://www.filmbug.com/db/1251 |title=Francis Ford Coppola |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727010642/http://www.filmbug.com/db/1251 |archive-date=July 27, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Although Coppola was a mediocre student, his interest in technology and engineering earned him the childhood nickname "Science".<ref name="The Gods of Filmmaking " /> He trained initially for a career in music and became proficient in the [[tuba]], eventually earning a music scholarship to the [[New York Military Academy]].<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola" /> In all, Coppola attended 23 schools<ref name="bravo">{{cite episode |title=Francis Ford Coppola |episode-link=Inside the Actors Studio |series=Inside the Actors Studio |series-link=Inside the Actors Studio |network=[[Bravo (US TV channel)|Bravo]] |season=7 |number=14 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18pZjqLaMMA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524202955/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18pZjqLaMMA |archive-date=May 24, 2015}}</ref> before he eventually graduated from [[John L. Miller Great Neck North High School|Great Neck North High School]].<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola (Yahoo!)">{{cite web |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800017123/bio |title=Francis Ford Coppola biography |publisher=Yahoo! Movies |access-date=October 18, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100823043110/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800017123/bio |archive-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref>

He entered [[Hofstra University]] in 1955 as a theater arts major. There, he was awarded a scholarship in playwriting. This furthered his interest in directing theater, though his father disapproved and wanted him to study engineering.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Interview page 1" /> Coppola was profoundly impressed by [[Sergei Eisenstein]]'s film ''[[October: Ten Days That Shook the World]]'' (1928), especially the quality of its [[Film editing|editing]], and decided to pursue cinema rather than theater.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Interview page 1" /> He said he was influenced to become a writer by his brother August.<ref name="bravo" /> Coppola also credits the work of [[Elia Kazan]] for influencing him as a writer and director.<ref name="bravo" /> Coppola's classmates at Hofstra included [[James Caan]], [[Lainie Kazan]] and radio artist [[Joe Frank]].<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola (Yahoo!)" /><ref>{{cite news |first=Kristine |last=McKenna |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2008-09-18/stage/off-the-radio |title=Joe Frank: Off the Radio – Page 1 – Stage – Los Angeles |newspaper=LA Weekly |date=September 17, 2008 |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002132602/http://www.laweekly.com/2008-09-18/stage/off-the-radio/ |archive-date=October 2, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> He later cast Kazan and Caan in his films.

While pursuing his bachelor's degree, Coppola was elected president of the university's drama group, The Green Wig, and its musical comedy club, the Kaleidoscopians. He merged the two groups into The Spectrum Players, and under his leadership, the group staged a new production each week. Coppola also founded the cinema workshop at Hofstra and contributed prolifically to the campus literary magazine.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola" /> He won three D. H. Lawrence Awards for theatrical production and direction and received a Beckerman Award for his outstanding contributions to the school's theater arts division.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Biography">{{cite web |url=http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/cop0bio-1 |title=Francis Ford Coppola Biography |access-date=October 18, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213223954/http://achievement.org/autodoc/page/cop0bio-1 |archive-date=December 13, 2010}}</ref> While a graduate student, Coppola studied under professor [[Dorothy Arzner]], whose encouragement was later acknowledged as pivotal to Coppola's career.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Interview page 1" />

==Career==
===1960–1969: Early works===
After earning his theater arts degree from [[Hofstra University|Hofstra]] in 1960, Coppola enrolled in [[UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television|UCLA Film School]] attending with [[Bart Patton]] and Pete (John) Broadrick.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hofstra.edu/home/news/ur/points-pride.html |title=Points of Pride – Hofstra University, New York |website=www.hofstra.edu |access-date=May 8, 2017 |archive-date=May 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523061106/http://www.hofstra.edu/home/news/ur/points-pride.html |url-status=live }}</ref> There, he directed a short horror film, ''The Two Christophers'', inspired by [[Edgar Allan Poe]]'s "[[William Wilson (short story)|William Wilson]]" and ''Ayamonn the Terrible'', a film about a sculptor's nightmares coming to life.<ref name="The Gods of Filmmaking ">{{cite web |url=http://www.ambidextrouspics.com/html/francis_ford_coppola.html |title=Francis Ford Coppola biography |access-date=November 30, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710050242/http://www.ambidextrouspics.com/html/francis_ford_coppola.html |archive-date=July 10, 2010}}</ref> He also met undergraduate film major [[Jim Morrison]], future frontman of [[The Doors]].<ref>{{cite web|title=SparkNotes: Apocalypse Now: Score and Soundtrack|url=http://www.sparknotes.com/film/apocalypsenow/section3.rhtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504054656/http://www.sparknotes.com/film/apocalypsenow/section3.rhtml|archive-date=May 4, 2012|access-date=October 18, 2010|publisher=www.sparknotes.com}}</ref>

In the early 1960s, Coppola made $10 per week<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coppola |first=Francis Ford |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XDu7cRa4f5oC&dq=francis+ford+coppola+10+dollar+a+week&pg=PA8 |title=Francis Ford Coppola: Interviews |date=2004 |publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-57806-666-7 |language=en |access-date=June 21, 2022 |archive-date=February 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210103505/https://books.google.com/books?id=XDu7cRa4f5oC&dq=francis+ford+coppola+10+dollar+a+week&pg=PA8#v=onepage&q=francis%20ford%20coppola%2010%20dollar%20a%20week&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> (roughly equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|10|1963}} per week today).{{Inflation-fn|US}} Looking for a way to earn some extra money, he found that many colleagues from film school made money filming erotic productions known as "nudie-cuties" or "skin flicks", which showed nudity without implying any sexual act.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Jenny M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5EISEAAAQBAJ&dq=francis+ford+coppola+skin+flicks&pg=PT26 |title=The Annotated Godfather (50th Anniversary Edition): The Complete Screenplay, Commentary on Every Scene, Interviews, and Little-Known Facts |date=September 21, 2021 |publisher=Running Press |isbn=978-0-7624-7382-3 |language=en |access-date=June 21, 2022 |archive-date=February 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210103626/https://books.google.com/books?id=5EISEAAAQBAJ&dq=francis+ford+coppola+skin+flicks&pg=PT26 |url-status=live }}</ref> At 21, Coppola wrote the script for ''The Peeper'', a short comedy film about a [[Voyeurism|voyeur]] who tries to spy on a sensual photo shoot in the studio next to his apartment. Coppola found an interested producer, who gave him $3,000 to shoot the film. He hired [[Playboy Bunny]] [[Marli Renfro]] to play the model and had his friend Karl Schanzer play the voyeur. With ''The Peeper'' finished, Coppola found that the cartoonish aspects of the film alienated potential buyers, who did not find the 12-minute short exciting enough to screen in [[Adult movie theater|adult theaters]].<ref name="FanFare">{{Cite web|last=Guerra|first=Felipe M.|title=The Nude-Father: the 'erotic' films directed by Francis Ford Coppola|url=https://medium.com/fan-fare/the-nude-father-the-erotic-films-directed-by-francis-ford-coppola-79535b0cf211/|access-date=November 18, 2020|website=FanFare|date=October 28, 2020|language=en|archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023152315/https://medium.com/fan-fare/the-nude-father-the-erotic-films-directed-by-francis-ford-coppola-79535b0cf211|url-status=live}}</ref>

After much rejection, Coppola received an opportunity from Premier Pictures Company, a small production company that invested in ''The Wide Open Spaces'', an erotic [[Western (genre)|western]] written and directed by Jerry Schafer, which had been shelved for more than a year. Both Schafer's film and ''The Peeper'' featured Renfro, so the producers paid Coppola $500 to combine the two films. After Coppola re-edited the picture, it was released as the [[Softcore pornography|softcore]] comedy ''[[Tonight for Sure]]'' (1962).<ref name="FanFare" /> Another production company, Screen Rite Pictures, hired Coppola to do a similar job: re-cutting the German film ''{{Ill|Mit Eva fing die Sünde an (film)|de|3=Mit Eva fing die Sünde an|lt=Mit Eva fing die Sünde an}}'' (''Sin Began with Eve''), directed by [[Fritz Umgelter]]. Coppola added new color footage with British model [[June Wilkinson]] and other nude starlets.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Phillips |first=Gene D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A1hEAgAAQBAJ&dq=francis+ford+coppola+June+Wilkinson&pg=PT34 |title=Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola |date=April 23, 2014 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0-8131-4672-0 |language=en |access-date=June 21, 2022 |archive-date=February 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210104013/https://books.google.com/books?id=A1hEAgAAQBAJ&dq=francis+ford+coppola+June+Wilkinson&pg=PT34#v=onepage&q=francis%20ford%20coppola%20June%20Wilkinson&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> The re-edited film was released as ''[[The Bellboy and the Playgirls]]''. That same year, producer/director [[Roger Corman]] hired Coppola as an assistant. Corman first tasked Coppola with dubbing and re-editing the Soviet science fiction film ''[[Nebo Zovyot]]'' (1959), which Coppola turned into the sex-and-violence monster movie ''[[Battle Beyond the Sun]]'' (1962).<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola (Yahoo!)" /> Impressed by Coppola's perseverance and dedication, Corman hired him as a dialogue director for ''[[Tower of London (1962 film)|Tower of London]]'' (1962), sound man for ''[[The Young Racers]]'' (1963) and associate producer and one of many uncredited directors for ''[[The Terror (1963 film)|The Terror]]'' (1963).<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Biography" />

Coppola's first [[feature film]] was ''[[Dementia 13]]'' (1963). While on location in Ireland for ''The Young Racers'', Corman persuaded Coppola to use that film's leftover funds to make a low-budget [[horror movie]].<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Biography" /> Coppola wrote a brief draft in one night, incorporating elements from [[Alfred Hitchcock|Hitchcock's]] ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'',<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Interview page 3">{{cite web |title=Francis Ford Coppola Biography and Interview |website=www.achievement.org |publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]] |url=https://www.achievement.org/achiever/francis-ford-coppola/#interview |access-date=April 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323144840/https://www.achievement.org/achiever/francis-ford-coppola/#interview |archive-date=March 23, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the result impressed Corman enough to give the go-ahead. On a budget of $40,000 ($20,000 from Corman and $20,000 from another producer who wanted to buy the movie's English rights),<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Interview page 3" /> Coppola directed ''Dementia 13'' over the course of nine days. The film recouped its expenses and later became a [[cult film]] among horror buffs. It was on the set of ''Dementia 13'' that Coppola met the woman he would marry, [[Eleanor Coppola|Eleanor Jessie Neil]].

In 1965, Coppola won the annual [[Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards|Samuel Goldwyn Award]] for best screenplay written by a UCLA student for ''Pilma, Pilma''.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola" /> The honor secured him a job as a scriptwriter with [[Seven Arts Productions|Seven Arts]]. During this time, Coppola also co-wrote the scripts for ''[[This Property Is Condemned]]'' (1966) and ''[[Is Paris Burning? (film)|Is Paris Burning?]]'' (1966). Coppola bought the rights to [[David Benedictus]]'s novel ''[[You're a Big Boy Now (novel)|You're a Big Boy Now]]'' (1963) and merged it with a story idea of his own, resulting in his UCLA [[thesis]] project ''[[You're a Big Boy Now]]'' (1966), which earned him his Master of Fine Arts Degree from [[UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television]] in 1967.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Biography" /><ref name="UCLATFT">[http://www.tft.ucla.edu/about/executive-board/francis-ford-coppola/ "Profile: Francis Ford Coppola"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716061348/http://www.tft.ucla.edu/about/executive-board/francis-ford-coppola/|date=July 16, 2014}}, UCLA School of Theater, Film, and television, Executive Board</ref><ref name="Thomson"/> The film also received a theatrical release via [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]] and earned critical acclaim.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola (Yahoo!)" />

[[File:Francis Ford Coppola, gtfy.00687.jpg|thumb|Francis Ford Coppola in 1973]]
Following the success of ''You're a Big Boy Now'', Coppola was offered to work on an adaptation of the musical ''[[Finian's Rainbow]]'' starring dance legend [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Petula Clark]] in her first American film. Producer [[Jack L. Warner]] was not impressed by Coppola's shaggy-haired, bearded, "[[hippie]]" appearance and generally left him to his own devices. Coppola took the cast to the [[Napa County, California|Napa Valley]] for much of the outdoor shooting, but those scenes were in sharp contrast to those filmed on a Hollywood soundstage, resulting in a disjointed look. Nonetheless, [[Finian's Rainbow (1968 film)|''Finian's Rainbow'']] (1968) was a critical and commercial success.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=4 December 2025|access-date=4 December 2025|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/the-fluffer-dances-with-finians-rainbow-1968/|magazine=Filmink|title=The Fluffer dances with … Finian's Rainbow (1968)}}</ref> The film introduced Coppola to [[George Lucas]], who became a lifelong friend and a production assistant on his next film.

''[[The Rain People]]'' (1969) was written, directed, and initially produced by Coppola himself, though as the movie advanced, he exceeded his budget and the studio had to underwrite the remainder of the movie.<ref name=" Francis Ford Coppola (Yahoo!)" /> It won the [[Golden Shell]] at the 1969 [[San Sebastián International Film Festival]]. Coppola wanted to subvert the studio system, which he felt had stifled his visions, intending to produce mainstream pictures to finance off-beat projects and give first-time directors a chance. While touring Europe, Coppola was introduced to alternative filmmaking equipment and, inspired by the [[Bohemianism|bohemian]] spirit of Lanterna Film, decided he would build a deviant studio that would conceive and implement unconventional approaches to filmmaking. He decided to name his future studio "Zoetrope" after receiving a gift of [[zoetrope]]s from Mogens Scot-Hansen, founder of Lanterna Film. Upon his return home, Coppola and Lucas searched for a mansion in [[Marin County, California|Marin County]] to house the studio. However, in 1969, with equipment flowing in and no mansion found yet, the first home for [[American Zoetrope|Zoetrope Studio]] was a warehouse in [[San Francisco]] on [[Folsom Street]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zoetrope.com/zoe_films.cgi?page=history |title=A Brief History of American Zoetrope |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925031247/http://www.zoetrope.com/zoe_films.cgi?page=history |archive-date=September 25, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Andrew Sarris]], in ''The American Cinema'' (1968), wrote: "[Coppola] is probably the first reasonably talented and sensibly adaptable directorial talent to emerge from a university curriculum in film-making&nbsp;... [He] may be heard from more decisively in the future."<ref>[[Andrew Sarris|Sarris, Andrew]] (1968). ''The American Cinema'' (Paperback ed.). New York, NY: EP Dutton and Co., Inc. p. 210.</ref>

=== 1970–1979: ''The Godfather'' and acclaim ===
==== ''Patton'' (1970) ====
Coppola co-wrote the script for [[Patton (film)|''Patton'']] starting in 1963 along with [[Edmund H. North]]. This earned him his first [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]]. However, it was not easy for Coppola to convince [[Franklin J. Schaffner]] that [[Patton (film)#Opening|the opening scene]] would work. Coppola later revealed in an interview,
{{Blockquote| I wrote the script of ''Patton''. And the script was very controversial when I wrote it, because they thought it was so stylized. It was supposed to be like, sort of, you know, ''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]''. And my script of ''Patton'' was—I was sort of interested in the reincarnation. And I had this very bizarre opening where he stands up in front of an American flag and gives this speech. Ultimately, I wasn't fired, but I was fired, meaning that when the script was done, they said, "Okay, thank you very much," and they went and hired another writer and that script was forgotten. And I remember very vividly this long, kind of being raked over the coals for this opening scene.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Interview page 4">{{cite web |url=https://www.achievement.org/achiever/francis-ford-coppola/#interview |title=An Interview with Francis Ford Coppola |publisher=achievement.org |access-date=April 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323144840/https://www.achievement.org/achiever/francis-ford-coppola/#interview |archive-date=March 23, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}

When the title role was offered to [[George C. Scott]], he remembered having read Coppola's screenplay earlier. He stated flatly that he would accept the part only if they used Coppola's script. "Scott is the one who resurrected my version," said Coppola.<ref>{{cite book |last=Phillips |first=Gene |title=Godfather The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola |year=2004 |publisher=The University Press of Kentucky |location=Lexington, Kentucky |isbn=0-8131-2304-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/godfatherintimat00phil/page/32 32] |chapter=1 Point of Departure|chapter-url-access=registration|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/godfatherintimat00phil |url=https://archive.org/details/godfatherintimat00phil/page/32}}</ref>

The movie opens with Scott's rendering of Patton's famous military "Pep Talk" to members of the Third Army, set against a huge American flag. Coppola and North had to tone down Patton's actual language to avoid an [[Motion picture content rating system#Restricted|R rating]]; in the opening monologue, the word "fornicating" replaced "fucking" when criticizing ''[[The Saturday Evening Post]]''. Over the years, this opening monologue has become an iconic scene and has spawned parodies in numerous films, political cartoons, and television shows.

==== ''The Godfather'' (1972) ====
''[[The Godfather]]'' (1972) was a turning point in Coppola's career. However, he faced several difficulties while filming. [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] had owned the rights to [[Mario Puzo]]'s [[The Godfather (novel)|novel]], about an Italian-American [[Italian-American Mafia|mafia]] family, for several years. Coppola was not Paramount's first choice to direct; [[Sergio Leone]] was initially offered the job but declined in order to direct his own gangster opus, ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]''.<ref>{{cite book |first=Christopher |last=Frayling |title=Spaghetti Westerns: Cowboys and Europeans from Karl May to Sergio Leone |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2bo9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA215 |year=1981 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-7100-0503-8 |page=215 |access-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-date=February 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210104024/https://books.google.com/books?id=2bo9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA215 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Robert Evans]] wanted the picture to be directed by an [[Italian American]] to make it "ethnic to the core".<ref name="VF">{{cite web |title=The ''Godfather'' Wars |author=Mark Seal |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/03/godfather200903 |date=March 2009 |access-date=July 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714155852/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/03/godfather200903.print |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live|author-link=Mark Seal}}</ref>{{sfn|Welsh|Phillips|Hill|2010|p=104}} Evans' chief assistant [[Peter Bart]] suggested Coppola, as a director of Italian ancestry who would work for a low sum and budget after the poor reception of ''The Rain People''.{{sfn|Phillips|2004|p=89}}<ref name="VF"/> Coppola initially turned down the job because he found Puzo's novel sleazy and sensationalist, describing it as "pretty cheap stuff".{{sfn|Phillips|2004|p=88}}{{sfn|Lebo|1997|p=23}} At the time, Coppola's studio American Zoetrope owed over $400,000 to [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]] for budget overruns on ''[[THX 1138]]'' and, when coupled with his poor financial standing, along with advice from friends and family, Coppola reversed his initial decision and took the job.<ref name="CBS D">{{cite web |title="The Godfather" Turns 40 |publisher=[[CBS News]] |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-godfather-turns-40/6/ |date=March 15, 2012 |access-date=July 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717010438/http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-godfather-turns-40/6/ |archive-date=July 17, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DVDcom">''The Godfather'' DVD commentary featuring Francis Ford Coppola, [2001]</ref>

Coppola was officially announced as director of the film on September 28, 1970.{{sfn|Jones|2007|p=18}} He agreed to receive $125,000 and six percent of the gross rentals.{{sfn|Lebo|2005|p=25}}{{sfn|Cowie|1997|p=11}} Coppola later found a deeper theme for the material and decided it should be not just be a film about organized crime, but also a [[family saga]] and a metaphor for capitalism in America.<ref name="VF" /> The story follows the [[Corleone family]] as patriarch [[Vito Corleone]] passes the reins of power to his son [[Michael Corleone|Michael]]. There was disagreement between Paramount and Coppola on casting; Coppola wanted to cast [[Marlon Brando]] as Vito, though Paramount wanted either [[Ernest Borgnine]] or [[Danny Thomas]]. [[Orson Welles]] was also considered. At one point, Coppola was told by the then-president of Paramount that "Marlon Brando will never appear in this motion picture." After pleading with the executives, Coppola was allowed to cast Brando only if he appeared in the film for much less money than his previous films, would perform a screen test, and put up a bond saying that he would not cause a delay in the production (as he had done on previous film sets).<ref name="Look">''The Godfather'' DVD Collection documentary ''A Look Inside'', [2001]</ref> Coppola chose Brando over Borgnine on the basis of Brando's screen test, which also won over the Paramount leadership. Coppola would later recall:{{Blockquote| ''The Godfather'' was a very unappreciated movie when we were making it. They were very unhappy with it. They didn't like the cast. They didn't like the way I was shooting it. I was always on the verge of getting fired. So it was an extremely nightmarish experience. I had two little kids, and the third one was born during that. We lived in a little apartment, and I was basically frightened that they didn't like it. They had as much as said that, so when it was all over I wasn't at all confident that it was going to be successful, and that I'd ever get another job.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Interview page 3" />}}

The film was a critical and commercial success, setting the box office record.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=August 2, 1972 |page=10 |title=Motion Picture History Has Been Made (advertisement) |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1972-08-02_267_12/page/10/mode/2up|access-date=December 10, 2023 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> [[Pauline Kael]] wrote: <blockquote>Coppola, a young director who has never had a big hit, may have done the movie for money, as he claims—in order to make the pictures he really wants to make, he says—but this picture was made at peak capacity. He has salvaged Puzo’s energy and lent the narrative dignity. Given the circumstances and the rush to complete the film and bring it to market, Coppola has not only done his best but pushed himself farther than he may realize. The movie is on the heroic scale of earlier pictures on broad themes, such as ''[[On the Waterfront]]'', ''[[From Here to Eternity]]'', and [[The Nun's Story (film)|''The Nun’s Story'']]. It offers a wide, startlingly vivid view of a Mafia dynasty. The abundance is from the book; the quality of feeling is Coppola’s ... The direction is tenaciously intelligent. Coppola holds on and pulls it all together. The trash novel is there underneath, but he attempts to draw the patterns out of the particulars. It’s amazing how encompassing the view seems to be—what a sense you get of a broad historical perspective, considering that the span is only from 1945 to the mid-fifties, at which time the Corleone family, already forced by competitive pressures into dealing in narcotics, is moving its base of operations to Las Vegas.<ref>{{cite magazine| last=Kael| first=Pauline| author-link=Pauline Kael |title=Alchemy| date=March 10, 1972| magazine=[[The New Yorker]]| url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1972/03/18/the-godfather-movie-review-pauline-kael}}</ref></blockquote>

In addition to Brando, the film starred [[Al Pacino]], [[James Caan]], [[John Cazale]] and [[Robert Duvall]]. It featured [[Richard Castellano]], [[Sterling Hayden]], [[Diane Keaton]] and Coppola's sister [[Talia Shire]]. Brando won the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]], which he refused to accept. The film won [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and the [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]]. Coppola was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] but lost to [[Bob Fosse]] for [[Cabaret (1972 film)|''Cabaret'']].<ref>{{cite web| title=The 45th Academy Awards| date=October 5, 2014| url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1973}}</ref> For the [[film score|score]], Coppola commissioned [[Nino Rota]], who had scored many [[Fellini]] films. [[Gordon Willis]]'s [[chiaroscuro]] cinematography was acclaimed, as was [[Dean Tavoularis]]'s period production design.<ref>{{cite book| last=Ebert| first=Roger| title=The Great Movies| page=198}}</ref>

The film routinely ranks near the top of polls for the greatest movies ever. It was ranked third, behind ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' (1941) and [[Casablanca (film)|''Casablanca'']] (1942), on the [[American Film Institute]]'s inaugural [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies]] list in 1997. In 2007, it had moved to second place, ahead of ''Casablanca'' and behind ''Kane''.<ref name="afi">{{cite web |work=[[American Film Institute]] |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/about/press/2007/100movies07.pdf |title=Citizen Kane Stands the test of Time |access-date=October 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811070405/http://www.afi.com/Docs/about/press/2007/100movies07.pdf |archive-date=August 11, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[David Thomson (film critic)|David Thomson]] writes that "''The Godfather'' deserved all its success because it had the nerve to take its 175 minutes slowly ... It has a calm faith in narrative control that had not been current in Hollywood for twenty years. It was like a film of the forties in its nostalgic decor; its command of great supporting actors; in Gordon Willis's bold exploration of a [[film noir]] in color; and in its fascination with evil."<ref name="Thomson">{{cite book| last=Thomson| author-link=David Thomson (film critic)| first=David| title=[[The New Biographical Dictionary of Film]]| page=201-2}}</ref>

==== ''The Conversation'' (1974) ====
''[[The Conversation]]'' (1974) further cemented Coppola's reputation. It was influenced by [[Michelangelo Antonioni]]'s ''[[Blowup]]'' (1966)<ref>{{cite book| last=Ondaatje| first=Michael| author-link=Michael Ondaatje| title=[[The Conversations]]| page=152}}</ref> and generated much interest when news leaked that it featured the same surveillance and wire-tapping equipment that members of the [[Nixon administration]] used to spy on political opponents in the [[Watergate scandal]]. Coppola claimed that this was purely coincidental, as the script for ''The Conversation'' was completed in the mid-1960s. However, audiences interpreted the film as a reaction to Watergate and its fallout. It stars [[Gene Hackman]] as Harry Caul, "the best bugger on the West Coast", hired to spy on a young couple played by [[Cindy Williams]] and [[Frederic Forrest]]. It features Cazale as his partner, Stan. The movie was a critical success and won Coppola his first [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[1974 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name=Palme/> The film received three [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] nominations: [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]], and [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]]. Coppola's brother-in-law [[David Shire]] wrote the score and [[Walter Murch]] edited the picture, as Coppola started work on his next project.<ref>{{cite book| last=Ondaatje| first=Michael| title=[[The Conversations]]| page=157}}</ref>

==== ''The Godfather Part II'' (1974) ====
''[[The Godfather Part II]]'' is both [[prequel]] and [[sequel]] to the first film, telling parallel stories of the rise of young Vito Corleone and the fall of his son Michael. After its five-hour-long preview, George Lucas told Coppola, "You have two films. Take one away, it doesn't work." Coppola claims it was the first major motion picture to use "Part II" in its title; he was influenced by [[Sergei Eisenstein]]'s two-part [[Ivan the Terrible (1945 film)|''Ivan the Terrible'']].<ref>{{cite news| title=Francis Ford Coppola apologizes for starting Hollywood sequel trend| last=Karr| first=Mary| date=December 2, 2024| work=[[The A.V. Club]]| url=https://www.avclub.com/francis-ford-coppola-sequel-trend-godfather-part-2}}</ref> Paramount was initially opposed to his decision to name the movie ''The Godfather Part II''. According to Coppola, the studio's objection stemmed from the belief that audiences would be reluctant to see a film with such a title, as the audience would supposedly believe that, having already seen ''The Godfather'', there was little reason to see an addition to the original film. However, the success of ''The Godfather Part II'' began the Hollywood tradition of numbered sequels.<ref>{{cite news| title=Francis Ford Coppola Has Found Himself Outside Hollywood. He's okay with that.| date=December 2, 2024| newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/12/02/francis-ford-coppola-kennedy-center-honors/}}</ref>

The movie received tremendous critical acclaim, with many deeming it superior to its predecessor. Kael wrote: <blockquote> Coppola has plunged us back into the sensuality and terror of the first film. And, with the relentlessness of a master, he goes farther and farther. The daring of Part II is that it enlarges the scope and deepens the meaning of the first film ... The first film covered the period from 1945 to the mid-fifties. Part II, contrasting the early manhood of Vito (played by [[Robert De Niro]]) with the life of Michael, his inheritor (Al Pacino), spans almost seventy years. We saw only the middle of the story in the first film; now we have the beginning and the end. Structurally, the completed work is nothing less than the rise and decay of an American dynasty of unofficial rulers ... Part II has the same mythic and operatic visual scheme as the first; once again the cinematographer is Gordon Willis. Visually the film is, however, far more complexly beautiful than the first, just as it’s thematically richer, more shadowed, more full. Willis’s workmanship has developed, like Coppola’s; even the sequences in the sunlight have deep tones — elegiac yet lyrical, as in [[The Conformist (1970 film) |''The Conformist'']], and always serving the narrative, as the Nino Rota score also does.<ref>{{cite magazine| last=Kael| first=Pauline| author-link=Pauline Kael| title=Fathers and Sons| date=December 23, 1974 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]]| url=https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/movies/the-godfather-part-ii-fathers-and-sons-review-by-pauline-kael/}}</ref></blockquote> 

In addition to Pacino, Cazale, Duvall, Keaton and Shire reprised their roles from the first film. Newcomers included [[Michael V. Gazzo]] and Pacino's mentor [[Lee Strasberg]]. ''The Godfather Part II'' was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won six, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director.<ref>{{cite web| title=The 47th Academy Awards| date=October 6, 2014| url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1975}}</ref> De Niro won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Vito, making him and Brando the first actors to win Oscars for playing the same character. The film ranked at No. 32 on AFI's inaugural 100 Years...100 Movies list, maintaining its position ten years later.<ref name="afi"/> It is ranked No. 1 on ''[[TV Guide Magazine|TV Guide]]''{{'s}} "50 Best Movies of All Time"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/tvguide.html |title=50 Greatest Movies (on TV and Video) by TV Guide Magazine |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331175627/http://www.filmsite.org/tvguide.html |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> and at No. 7 on ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'''s list of the "100 Greatest Movies of All Time".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/ew100.html |title=100 Greates Movies of All Time by Entertainment Weekly |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331185517/http://www.filmsite.org/ew100.html |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> Together, the two ''Godfather''s placed at No. 4 on ''[[Sight & Sound]]''{{'s}} 2002 list of the ten greatest films of all time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/sightsound.html |title=10 Best Films of All Time Polls by Sight & Sound Magazine |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118083212/http://www.filmsite.org/sightsound.html |archive-date=November 18, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> Thomson writes that "it exhibited a mastery of so many periods and locations as to be entrancing."<ref name="Thomson"/> It was one of the last major American motion pictures to be filmed in [[Technicolor]].<ref>{{cite web| title=The 70s and Technicolor| work=The Technicolor Group| url=https://www.technicolor.com/about/history/the-70s-and-technicolor/}}</ref>

==== ''Apocalypse Now'' (1979) ====
Following the success of ''The Godfather'', ''The Conversation'' and ''The Godfather Part II'', Coppola began filming ''[[Apocalypse Now]]'', an adaptation of [[Joseph Conrad]]'s ''[[Heart of Darkness]]'' (1899) set in [[Cambodia]] during the [[Vietnam War]]. It follows Willard ([[Martin Sheen]]) as he journeys upriver to find and assassinate the rogue Kurtz (Brando). The production in the [[Philippines]] was plagued by numerous problems, including typhoons, nervous breakdowns, the firing of [[Harvey Keitel]], Sheen's heart attack, Brando arriving overweight and unprepared and extras from the Philippine military and half of the supplied helicopters leaving in the middle of scenes to fight rebels. It was delayed so often it was nicknamed ''Apocalypse When?''<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola: The RT Interview">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1920998/news/1920998/francis-ford-coppola-the-rt-interview/ |title=Francis Ford Coppola: The RT Interview. The great director reflects upon his masterpiece Apocalypse Now |first=Tim |last=Ryan |date=October 15, 2010 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=November 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101020083621/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1920998/news/1920998/francis-ford-coppola-the-rt-interview/ |archive-date=October 20, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> 

''Apocalypse Now'' premiered at the [[1979 Cannes Film Festival]], where Coppola made grandiose claims, among them: "My film is not about Vietnam, it ''is'' Vietnam."<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola: The RT Interview" /> Despite such pronouncements, and complaints from critics that the film's message was confused, it shared the Palme d'Or with [[Volker Schlöndorff]]'s ''[[The Tin Drum (film)|The Tin Drum]]''<ref name=Palme>{{cite web | title=Palme d'or: the 1970s | work=[[Cannes Film Festival]] | date=April 20, 2020 |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2020/palme-dor-the-1970s/}}</ref> and won Oscars for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] ([[Vittorio Storaro]]) and [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]] (Murch, [[Mark Berger (sound engineer)|Mark Berger]], [[Richard Beggs]] and [[Nat Boxer]].)<ref>{{cite web| title=The 52nd Academy Awards| date=March 2022| url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1980}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] wrote: 

{{Blockquote |text= In his book ''The Films of My Life'', the French director [[François Truffaut]] made a curious statement. He used to believe, he says, that a successful film had to simultaneously express "an idea of the world and an idea of cinema." But now, he writes, "I demand that a film express either the joy of making cinema or the agony of making cinema. I am not at all interested in anything in between; I am not interested in all those films that do not pulse."}}

{{Blockquote |text=It may seem strange to begin a review of Franics Coppola's ''Apocalypse Now'' with those words, but consider them for a moment and they apply perfectly to this sprawling film. The critics who have rejected Coppola's film mostly did so on Truffaut's earlier grounds; they have arguments with the ideas about the world and the war in ''Apocalypse Now'' ... Like all great works of art about war, ''Apocalypse Now'' essentially contains only one idea or message, the not-especially enlightening observation that war is hell. We do not go to see Coppola's movie for that reason—something Coppola, but not some of his critics, knows well. Coppola also knows well (and demonstrated in the ''Godfather'' films) that movies aren't especially good at dealing with abstract ideas—for those you'd be better turning to the written word—but they are superb for presenting moods and feelings, the look of a battle, the expression of a face, the mood of a country. ''Apocalypse Now'' achieves greatness not by analyzing our "experience" in Vietnam, but by re-creating, in characters and images, something of that experience.}} 

{{Blockquote |text=An example: the scene in which Robert Duvall, as a crazed lieutenant colonel, leads his troops in a helicopter assault on a village is, quite simply, the best movie battle scene ever filmed. It's simultaneously numbing, depressing and exhilarating: as the rockets jar from the helicopters and spring through the air, we're elated like kids for a half second, until the reality of the consequences sinks in...}}

{{Blockquote |text=What's great in this film, and what will make it live for many years and speak to many audiences, is what Coppola achieves on the level Truffaut was discussing: the moments of agony and joy in making cinema. Some of those moments come at the same time; remember again the helicopter assault and its unsettling mixture of horror and exhilaration. Remember the weird beauty of the massed helicopters lifting over the trees in long shot, and the insane power of [[Richard Wagner |Wagner]]'s music, played loudly during the attack, and you feel what Coppola was getting at: those moments as common in life as art, when the whole huge grand mystery of the world, so beautiful, so terrible, seems to hang in the balance.<ref>{{cite news | last=Ebert | first=Roger | author-link=Roger Ebert | title=Apocalypse Now | date=June 1, 1979 |work=[[Chicago Sun Times]]}}</ref> 
}}

The film's reputation has grown and it is now regarded by many as a masterpiece of the New Hollywood and is frequently cited as one of the greatest movies ever made, ranking at Number 19 on the 2022 ''Sight and Sound'' poll.<ref>{{cite news| title=The Greatest Films of All Time| work= [[Sight and Sound]]| url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time#rank-25}}</ref> For the film, Murch was the first person to receive a credit as a Sound Designer.<ref>{{cite book| last=Ondaatje| first=Michael| author-link=Michael Ondaatje| title=[[The Conversations]]| page=53}}</ref> 

The documentary ''[[Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse]]'' (1991), directed by [[George Hickenlooper]], Fax Bahr and Francis's wife, [[Eleanor Coppola]], who was present through the production, chronicles the difficulties the crew went through making ''Apocalypse Now'' and features behind-the-scenes footage filmed by Eleanor. Coppola famously stated, "We were in the jungle, there were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment and little by little, we went insane."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D0CE0D91530F934A15752C1A967958260 |title=Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) |date=November 27, 1991 |access-date=October 18, 2010 |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=Janet |last=Maslin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515003240/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D0CE0D91530F934A15752C1A967958260 |archive-date=May 15, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 1980–1989: Hard times ===
[[File:Vlahos-Coppola.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Coppola (left) and [[Petro Vlahos]]]]''Apocalypse Now'' marked the end of the 'golden phase' of Coppola's career.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola (Yahoo!)" /> His Las Vegas-set musical fantasy ''[[One from the Heart]]'' (1982), while pioneering in its use of video-editing techniques, ended with a disastrous box-office gross of US$636,796 against a $26-million budget,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=onefromtheheart.htm |title=One from the Heart |publisher=Boxofficemojo.com |access-date=October 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011075113/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=onefromtheheart.htm |archive-date=October 11, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> and he was forced to sell the 23-acre Zoetrope Studio in 1983.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola Biography" /> He would spend the rest of the decade working to pay off his debts. Ebert wrote that the film was "a ballet of graceful and complex camera movements occupying magnificent sets, and somehow the characters get lost in the process ... The storyteller of ''The Godfather'' has become a technician here. There are chilling parallels between Coppola’s obsessive control of this film and the character of Harry Caul, the wiretapper in Coppola’s ''The Conversation'' (1974), who cared only about technical results and refused to let himself think about human consequences."<ref>{{cite news| last=Ebert| first=Roger| title=One From the Heart| date=1982| work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]}}</ref> Later critical evaluation has been more positive; Thomson calls the film "enchanting and touching".<ref name="Thomson"/> ''One from the Heart'' starred Forrest, [[Teri Garr]], [[Raúl Juliá]], [[Nastassja Kinski]] and was scored by [[Tom Waits]] with [[Crystal Gayle]] singing on many tracks with Waits. 

In 1983, he directed ''[[The Outsiders (film)|The Outsiders]]'', an adaptation of the [[The Outsiders (novel)|novel of the same name]] by [[S. E. Hinton]]. Coppola credited his inspiration for making the film to a suggestion from middle school students who had read the novel. ''The Outsiders'' is notable for being the breakout film for a number of young actors who would go on to become major stars, including [[Matt Dillon]], [[Ralph Macchio]] and [[C. Thomas Howell]]. Also in the cast were [[Patrick Swayze]], [[Emilio Estevez]], [[Diane Lane]], [[Tom Cruise]] and [[Rob Lowe]] (in his film debut). Carmine Coppola wrote and edited the score, including the title song "Stay Gold", which was based on [[Robert Frost]]'s [[Nothing Gold Can Stay (poem) |"Nothing Gold Can Stay"]] and performed by [[Stevie Wonder]]. ''The Outsiders'' received mostly positive reviews from critics and performed well at the box office, grossing $25.7 million on a $10 million budget.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Verifying |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Outsiders-The#tab=summary |access-date=2025-12-17 |website=www.the-numbers.com}}</ref>

He directed ''[[Rumble Fish]]'', filmed at the same time as ''The Outsiders'' on-location in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]] and based on the [[Rumble Fish (novel)|novel of the same name]] by Hinton, who co-wrote the screenplay. Shot in black-and-white as an homage to [[German expressionist cinema|German expressionism]], ''Rumble Fish'' centers on the relationship between a revered former gang leader ([[Mickey Rourke]]) and his younger brother, Rusty James (Dillon). The film received positive reviews from critics but bombed at the box office, earning a meager $2.5 million against a $10 million budget.<ref name="BoxOffice">{{cite news |title=''Rumble Fish'' |work=Box Office Mojo |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rumblefish.htm |access-date=December 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625134342/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rumblefish.htm |archive-date=June 25, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> 

In 1984, Coppola directed the Robert Evans-produced [[The Cotton Club (film)|''The Cotton Club'']], based on the novel by [[James Haskins]] and centered on the eponymous [[Harlem]] [[jazz]] club. The film was nominated for several awards, including the Golden Globes for Best Director and Best Picture (Drama) and Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Art-Direction. However, the film failed at the box-office, earning only $25.9 million of the $47.9 million privately invested by brothers Fred and Ed Doumani.<ref name="Greatest Box-Office Bombs, Disasters and Flops of All-Time">[http://www.filmsite.org/greatestflops10.html Greatest Box-Office Bombs, Disasters and Flops of All-Time] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122224834/http://www.filmsite.org/greatestflops10.html |date=November 22, 2010 }}. Retrieved October 18, 2010.</ref> The same year, he directed "Rip Van Winkle", an adaptation of [[Washington Irving]]'s [[Rip Van Winkle|short story]] starring [[Harry Dean Stanton]] for [[Shelley Duvall]]'s ''[[Faerie Tale Theatre]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/faerie_tale_theatre_rip_van_winkle/ |title=Faerie Tale Theatre – Rip Van Winkle (1984) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=October 18, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091204145606/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/faerie_tale_theatre_rip_van_winkle/ |archive-date=December 4, 2009}}</ref> 

In 1986, Coppola directed ''[[Captain EO]]'', a 17-minute space fantasy for [[Disney theme parks]], executive produced by George Lucas and starring [[Michael Jackson]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.papermag.com/hollyweird-captain-eo-2608363436.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1 |title=Michael Jackson and the Making of Disney's 'Captain EO' |last=Taylor |first=Trey |date=September 27, 2018 |website=Paper |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113195058/https://www.papermag.com/hollyweird-captain-eo-2608363436.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1 |archive-date=November 13, 2019 |access-date=November 13, 2019 }}</ref> Coppola, formerly a member of [[Writers Guild of America West]], left and maintained [[financial core]] status in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wga.org/members/membership-information/wgaw-financial-core-list|title=WGAW Financial Core List|website=www.wga.org|accessdate=August 17, 2023|archive-date=August 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813205209/https://www.wga.org/members/membership-information/wgaw-financial-core-list|url-status=live}}</ref> Also in 1986, Coppola released the comedy ''[[Peggy Sue Got Married]]'' starring [[Kathleen Turner]], [[Jim Carrey]] and Coppola's nephew [[Nicolas Cage]]. The film earned Coppola positive reviews and Turner her first and only [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Oscar]] nomination. It was Coppola's first box-office success since ''The Outsiders''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=peggysuegotmarried.htm |title=Peggy Sue Got Married |website=Box Office Mojo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912040318/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=peggysuegotmarried.htm |archive-date=September 12, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> and ranked number 17 on ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s list of "50 Best High School Movies".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1532588_1_0_,00.html |title=Entertainment Weekly's 50 Best High School Movies |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905083021/http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0%2C6115%2C1532588_1_0_%2C00.html |archive-date=September 5, 2008}}</ref> That same year, Coppola appeared on the March 22 episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' where he was part of a storyline where [[NBC]] hired him to direct the show in an attempt to boost ''SNL'''s sagging ratings. 

The following year, Coppola re-teamed with James Caan for ''[[Gardens of Stone]]'', but the film was overshadowed by the death of Coppola's eldest son [[Gian-Carlo Coppola|Gian-Carlo]] during the film's production. The movie was not a critical success and underperformed commercially, earning only $5.6 million against a $13 million budget.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gardensofstone.htm |title=Gardens of Stone |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323064410/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gardensofstone.htm |archive-date=March 23, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Coppola directed ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]'' the year after that. The film is a biopic based on the life of [[Preston Tucker]] and his attempt to produce and market the [[Tucker automobile|Tucker '48]]; Coppola had originally conceived the project as a musical with Brando leading. Ultimately, it was [[Jeff Bridges]] who played the role of Tucker. Budgeted at $24 million, the film received positive reviews and earned three nominations at the [[62nd Academy Awards]], but grossed a disappointing $19.65 million at the box office. It garnered two awards: [[Martin Landau]] won the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor]] and [[Dean Tavoularis]] took [[BAFTA Award for Best Production Design|BAFTA's honors for Best Production Design]].

In 1989, Coppola teamed up with fellow Oscar-winners [[Martin Scorsese]] and [[Woody Allen]] for the [[anthology film]] ''[[New York Stories]]''. Coppola directed the "[[Life Without Zoe|Life Without Zoë]]" segment, starring Shire and co-written with his daughter [[Sofia Coppola|Sofia]]. "Life Without Zoë" was mostly panned by critics and was generally considered to be the segment that brought the film's overall quality down.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.currentfilm.com/dvdreviews4/newyorkstoriesdvd.html |title=New York Stories: DVD Information |access-date=October 18, 2010|url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123144435/http://currentfilm.com/dvdreviews4/newyorkstoriesdvd.html |archive-date=November 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19890303/REVIEWS/903030306/1023 |title=New York Stories by Roger Ebert |access-date=October 18, 2010 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107225055/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19890303%2FREVIEWS%2F903030306%2F1023 |archive-date=November 7, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hal Hinson]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote a particularly scathing review, stating: "It's impossible to know what Francis Coppola's ''Life Without Zoë'' is. Co-written with his daughter Sofia, the film is a mystifying embarrassment; it's by far the director's worst work yet."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/newyorkstoriespghinson_a0a8de.htm |title=New York Stories (PG) |date=March 3, 1989 |access-date=October 18, 2010 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121124824/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/newyorkstoriespghinson_a0a8de.htm |archive-date=January 21, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Zoetrope Studios finally filed for [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] in 1990, after which its name was changed to American Zoetrope.<ref name="Francis Ford Coppola (Yahoo!)" />

=== 1990–1999: Continued work ===

==== ''The Godfather Part III'' (1990) ====
{{Main|The Godfather Part III}}
[[File:Francis Ford Coppola Cannes.jpg|thumb|Coppola at the [[1996 Cannes Film Festival]]]]
In 1990, he released the third and final chapter of ''The Godfather'' series: ''The Godfather Part III''. Coppola felt that the first two films had told the complete Corleone saga. Coppola intended ''Part III'' to be an epilogue to the first two films.<ref name=pre>{{cite web |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/the-godfather-part-iii-makes-a-little-more-sense-in-the-streaming-era |title='The Godfather: Part III' makes a little more sense in the streaming era |work=Datebook &#124; San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide |publisher=sfchronicle.com |date=December 26, 2019 |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227100958/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/the-godfather-part-iii-makes-a-little-more-sense-in-the-streaming-era |archive-date=December 27, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In his [[audio commentary]] for ''Part II'', he stated that only a dire financial situation caused by the failure of ''[[One from the Heart]]'' (1982) compelled him to take up [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]'s long-standing offer to make a third installment.<ref name="DVDcom2">{{cite news |work=The Godfather Part II DVD |title=DVD commentary featuring Francis Ford Coppola |date=2005}}</ref> Coppola and Puzo preferred the title ''The Death of Michael Corleone'', but Paramount Pictures found that unacceptable.<ref name=pre/> While not as critically acclaimed as the first two films,<ref name="The Godfather Part III" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/thegodfatherpartiiirhinson_a0a9c5.htm |title=The Godfather Part III by Hal Hinson |date=December 25, 1990 |access-date=October 18, 2010 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208125614/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/thegodfatherpartiiirhinson_a0a9c5.htm |archive-date=February 8, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/12/15/the_godfather_part_iii_1990_review.shtml |title=The Godfather Part III (1990) |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315062016/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/12/15/the_godfather_part_iii_1990_review.shtml |archive-date=March 15, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> it was still commercially successful, earning $136&nbsp;million against a $54&nbsp;million budget.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=godfather3.htm |title=The Godfather Part III |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119162248/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=godfather3.htm |archive-date=November 19, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some reviewers criticized the casting of Coppola's daughter [[Sofia Coppola|Sofia]], who stepped into the leading role of [[Mary Corleone]], which was abandoned by [[Winona Ryder]] just as filming began.<ref name="The Godfather Part III">[http://www.reelviews.net/movies/g/godfather3.html The Godfather Part III] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219153651/http://reelviews.net/movies/g/godfather3.html |date=December 19, 2010 }}. Retrieved October 18, 2010.</ref> Despite this, ''The Godfather Part III'' went on to gather seven [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations, including [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] and [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. The film failed to win any of these awards, which made it the only film in the trilogy to do so.

In September 2020, for the film's 30th anniversary, it was announced that a new cut of the film titled ''Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone'' would have a limited theatrical release in December 2020 followed by digital and Blu-ray.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/francis-ford-coppola-recutting-godfather-part-iii-for-30th-anniversary|title=Adam Beach's 'Monkey Beach' to Open Hybrid Vancouver Film Fest|publisher=hollywoodreporter.com|date=September 3, 2020|access-date=September 3, 2020|archive-date=September 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904035025/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/francis-ford-coppola-recutting-godfather-part-iii-for-30th-anniversary|url-status=live}}</ref> Coppola said the film is the version he and Puzo had originally envisioned, and it "vindicates" its status among the trilogy and his daughter Sofia's performance.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Itzkoff|first=Dave|date=December 2, 2020|title=How Francis Ford Coppola Got Pulled Back In to Make 'The Godfather, Coda'|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/movies/godfather-coda-francis-ford-coppola.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202100619/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/movies/godfather-coda-francis-ford-coppola.html |archive-date=December 2, 2020 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=December 16, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/francis-ford-coppola-says-godfather-part-iii-recut-vindicates-film-daughter-sofia |title= Francis Ford Coppola Says 'Godfather: Part III' Recut Vindicates Film, Daughter Sofia |work= [[The Hollywood Reporter]] |first= Ryan |last= Parker |date= December 3, 2020 |access-date= December 3, 2020 |archive-date= January 26, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210126015557/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/francis-ford-coppola-says-godfather-part-iii-recut-vindicates-film-daughter-sofia |url-status= live }}</ref>

==== ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1992) ====
{{Main|Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)}}

In 1992, Coppola directed and produced ''Bram Stoker's Dracula''. Adapted from [[Bram Stoker]]'s [[Dracula|novel]], it was intended to follow the book more closely than previous film adaptations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://classic-horror.com/reviews/bram_stokers_dracula_1992 |title=Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921232725/http://classic-horror.com/reviews/bram_stokers_dracula_1992 |archive-date=September 21, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Coppola cast [[Gary Oldman]] as the titular role, with [[Keanu Reeves]], [[Winona Ryder]], and [[Anthony Hopkins]] in supporting roles. The movie became a box-office hit, grossing $82,522,790 domestically, making it the 15th highest-grossing film of the year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1992&p=.htm |title=1992 Domestic Grosses |publisher=Boxofficemojo.com |access-date=November 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629015451/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1992&p=.htm |archive-date=June 29, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> It fared even better out of the country, grossing $133,339,902 for a total worldwide gross of $215,862,692 against a budget of $40&nbsp;million,<ref>[https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1992/0BRMS.php Movie Dracula – Box Office Data, News, Cast Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419225227/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1992/0BRMS.php |date=April 19, 2009 }} from The Numbers</ref> making it the ninth highest-grossing film of the year worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1992&p=.htm |title=Dracula box-office collections |access-date=November 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726204727/http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1992&p=.htm |archive-date=July 26, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The film won Academy Awards for [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Costume Design]], [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Makeup]] and [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Sound Editing]].

==== ''Jack'' (1996) ====
{{Main|Jack (1996 film)}}

Coppola's next project was ''Jack'', which was released on August 9, 1996. It starred [[Robin Williams]] as Jack Powell, a ten-year-old boy whose cells are growing at four times the normal rate due to [[Werner syndrome]], which makes him look like a 40-year-old man at the age of ten. With [[Diane Lane]], [[Brian Kerwin]], and [[Bill Cosby]], ''Jack'' also featured [[Jennifer Lopez]], [[Fran Drescher]] and [[Michael McKean]] in supporting roles. Not a box-office success, grossing $58&nbsp;million domestically on an estimated $45&nbsp;million budget,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=jack.htm |title=Jack |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190120093705/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=jack.htm |archive-date=January 20, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> it was panned by critics, many of whom disliked the film's abrupt contrast between actual comedy and tragic melodrama.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blackwelder |first1=Rob |title=SPLICEDwire: "Jack" review |url=http://splicedwire.com/96reviews/jack.html |website=SPLICEDwire |publisher=Rob Blackwelder |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210182425/http://splicedwire.com/96reviews/jack.html |archive-date=December 10, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was also unfavorably compared with the 1988 film ''[[Big (film)|Big]]'', in which [[Tom Hanks]] also played a child in a grown man's body.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |title=Jack movie review & film summary (1996) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jack-1996 |website=RogerEbert.com |publisher=Ebert Digital |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021031221/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jack-1996 |archive-date=October 21, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Most critics felt that the screenplay was poorly written, not funny, and had unconvincing and unbelievable drama.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baumgarten |first1=Marjorie |title=Jack - Movie Review |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1996-08-09/jack/ |website=The Austin Chronicle|date=August 9, 1996 |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021031222/https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1996-08-09/jack/ |archive-date=October 21, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Other critics felt that Coppola was too talented to be making this type of film.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Gleiberman |first1=Owen |title=Jack |url=https://ew.com/article/1996/08/09/jack/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021031220/https://ew.com/article/1996/08/09/jack/ |archive-date=October 21, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Although ridiculed for making the film, Coppola has defended it, saying he is not ashamed of the final cut of the movie. He had been friends with Robin Williams for many years and had always wanted to work with him as an actor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Francis Ford Coppola - Biography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000338/bio#quotes |website=IMDb |publisher=IMDb.com, Inc. |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410032924/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000338/bio#quotes |archive-date=April 10, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> When Williams was offered the screenplay for ''Jack'', he said he would only agree to do it if Coppola agreed to sign on as director.

==== ''The Rainmaker'' (1997) ====
{{Main|The Rainmaker (1997 film)}}

The last film Coppola directed in the 1990s, ''The Rainmaker'', was based on the 1995 [[The Rainmaker (novel)|novel of the same name]] by [[John Grisham]]. An ensemble [[Legal drama|courtroom drama]], the film was well received by critics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1080867-rainmaker/ |title=The Rainmaker |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=November 21, 1997 |access-date=October 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927123727/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1080867-rainmaker/ |archive-date=September 27, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] gave ''The Rainmaker'' three stars out of four, remarking: "I have enjoyed several of the movies based on Grisham novels&nbsp;... but I've usually seen the storyteller's craft rather than the novelist's art being reflected. By keeping all of the little people in focus, Coppola shows the variety of a young lawyer's life, where every client is necessary and most of them need a lot more than a lawyer."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=1997-11-21 |title=''The Rainmaker'' review |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-rainmaker-1997 |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |language=en-US |via=[[RogerEbert.com]]}}</ref> [[James Berardinelli]] also gave the film three stars out of four, saying that "the intelligence and subtlety of ''The Rainmaker'' took me by surprise" and that the film "stands above any other filmed Grisham adaptation."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berardinelli |first=James |author-link=James Berardinelli |date=1997 |title=''The Rainmaker'' review |url=https://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/rainmaker-the |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Reelviews |language=en}}</ref> Grisham said of the film: "To me it's the best adaptation of any of [my books]&nbsp;... I love the movie. It's so well done."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2004/02/06/john-grisham-issues-judgment-all-his-novels |title=Grisham v. Grisham: John Grisham issues judgment on all his novels |first=Tina |last=Jordan |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=February 13, 2004 |date=February 6, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626033200/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,587688,00.html |archive-date=June 26, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film grossed about $45&nbsp;million domestically,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=rainmaker.htm |title=The Rainmaker (1997) |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607000224/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=rainmaker.htm |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> more than the estimated production budget of $40&nbsp;million, but a disappointment compared to previous films adapted from Grisham novels.

According to Coppola, after this film, he stopped working as a "professional director", preferring to act more like a student. He chose to self-finance some "very small, low-budget" movies in order to learn "what making movies really was" without needing them to be successful.<ref name="RollingStoneAug2024">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/francis-ford-coppola-megalopolis-the-godfather-1235068854/|url-access=limited|title=Francis Ford Coppola: 'I Have Nothing Left to Lose'|date=August 25, 2024|first=David|last=Fear|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=August 27, 2024|archive-date=September 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924060858/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/francis-ford-coppola-megalopolis-the-godfather-1235068854/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2000–2018: Career fluctuations ===

==== ''Supernova'' re-edit ====
{{Main|Supernova (2000 film)}}

In the late 90's Coppola was a board member of MGM, and in discussion of films they already had which could not be released, ''Supernova'' was among the most expensive. He was approached to supervise several of these, including ''The Fantastiks'' and&nbsp;''Supernova'', which he used his American Zoetrope facility in [[Northern California]]. This work included digitally placing [[Angela Bassett]]'s and [[James Spader]]'s faces on the bodies of (a computer-tinted) [[Robin Tunney]] and [[Peter Facinelli]] so that their characters could have a [[Sex scene|love scene]].<ref name="horn">{{cite news |title=A film named after a disaster of stellar proportions? Hmm...: Supernova: Directed by Walter Hill. And Jack Sholder. And Francis Ford Coppola |last=Horn |first=John |newspaper=National Post |date=January 14, 2000 |page=B3}}</ref> However, Coppola's re-edited version had negative test screening and did not get the PG-13 rating by the MPAA that the studio wanted. Creature designer [[Patrick Tatopoulos]], whose special effects were mostly cut out from the film, said that [[Walter Hill]] wanted the film to be much more grotesque, strange, and disturbing, while MGM wanted to make it more of a hip, sexy film in space, and not with full-blown makeup effects. "I hope that my experience in the film industry has helped improve the picture and rectified some of the problems that losing a director caused", said Coppola.<ref name="horn"/> By October 1999, [[MGM]] decided to sell the film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bad Movie News: Supernova |url=http://www.tnmc.org/news/supernova.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306004240/http://www.tnmc.org/news/supernova.html |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |work=TNMC Movies}}</ref> The film was eventually released on January 17, 2000, almost two years later than planned.<ref name="super">Lights, camera&nbsp;... new director Harrison, Genevieve. ''The Guardian'' (1959-2003) [London (UK)] June 16, 2000: B8.</ref>
[[File:Francis Ford Coppola(CannesPhotoCall) crop.jpg|thumb|left|Coppola at the [[2001 Cannes Film Festival]]|upright]]
Coppola was the jury president at the [[1996 Cannes Film Festival]] and he also took part as a special guest at the 17th [[Midnight Sun Film Festival]] in [[Sodankylä]], Finland,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/news/sodankyla-forever-explores-legacy-war-34th-starz-denver-154000143.html |title='Sodankyla Forever' Explores Legacy of War at 34th Starz Denver Film Festival |last=Cangialosi |first=Jason |work=[[Yahoo! Movies]] |date=November 14, 2011 |access-date=December 12, 2020 |archive-date=May 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518072607/http://movies.yahoo.com/news/sodankyla-forever-explores-legacy-war-34th-starz-denver-154000143.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the 46th International [[Thessaloniki Film Festival]] in [[Thessaloniki]], Greece.

====''Apocalypse Now Redux''====
In the late '90s, Coppola began revisiting his films and creating new director's cuts for release on home video. The first movie to receive this treatment was ''Apocalypse Now''. The new version, ''[[Apocalypse Now Redux]]'', restored 49 minutes that had been cut from the film before its original release in 1979, notably a visit to a French plantation. A number of actors came in to rerecord their lines for the deleted scenes, which were of inconsistent audio quality, and new music was composed. This version was released in cinemas in 2001 and later released on DVD. In 2006, it was collected with the theatrical cut on a deluxe DVD; subsequent home video releases have included both versions.

[[A. O. Scott]] wrote: "''Apocalypse Now Redux'' arrives in this slack season to remind us of a lost era of visionary cinema, a time of creative self-confidence that frequently flirted with hubris, but also a time of risk taking and high seriousness. The artistic vision on display in ''Apocalypse Now'' -- the divine madness that inspired Mr. Coppola to risk his health, his sanity, his fortune and the well-being of his cast, crew and family -- is ultimately less impressive, and less important to the film's durable power, than the art itself."<ref>{{cite news| title= CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK: Aching Heart of Darkness| last=Scott| first= A. O.| author-link=A. O. Scott| work=[[The New York Times]]| date=August 3, 2001| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/03/movies/critic-s-notebook-aching-heart-of-darkness.html}}</ref>

In 2005, Coppola created a new cut of ''The Outsiders'' for home video. This version, titled ''The Outsiders: The Complete Novel'', added more than 20 minutes of footage and removed three scenes, bringing the film's runtime from 91 minutes to 114 minutes. It also added new music by [[Michael Seifert (producer)|Michael Seifert]] and Dave Pruitt and several period songs to Carmine Coppola's score. Coppola included both the theatrical cut and "The Complete Novel" on all subsequent home video releases.

====Return====
After a ten-year hiatus, Coppola returned to directing with ''[[Youth Without Youth (film)|Youth Without Youth]]'' in 2007, based on the [[Youth Without Youth (novella)|novella of the same name]] by Romanian author [[Mircea Eliade]]. The film received generally negative reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/youth_without_youth/ |title=Youth Without Youth (2007) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831142242/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/youth_without_youth/ |archive-date=August 31, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> It was made for about $19&nbsp;million and had a limited release, only managing $2,624,759 at the box-office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=youthwithoutyouth.htm |title=Youth Without Youth |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808205320/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=youthwithoutyouth.htm |archive-date=August 8, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> As a result, Coppola announced his plans to produce his own films in order to avoid the marketing input that goes into most films, which are intended to appeal to too wide an audience.

In 2009, Coppola released ''[[Tetro]]''. It was set in [[Argentina]], with the reunion of two brothers. The story follows the rivalries born out of creative differences passed down through generations of an artistic [[Italian diaspora|Italian immigrant]] family.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=39343 |title=Tetro |work=ComingSoon.net |publisher=Coming Soon Media, L.P. |access-date=August 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024131708/http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=39343 |archive-date=October 24, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film received generally positive reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/tetro |title=Tetro (2009): Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=June 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615091942/http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/tetro |archive-date=June 15, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="rt">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tetro/ |title=Tetro Movie Reviews, Pictures |work=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=IGN Entertainment |access-date=June 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609121609/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tetro/ |archive-date=June 9, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Rotten Tomatoes]] site's consensus was: "A complex meditation on family dynamics, ''Tetro''{{'s}} arresting visuals and emotional core compensate for its uneven narrative."<ref name="rt" /> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film three stars, praising it for being "boldly operatic, involving family drama, secrets, generations at war, melodrama, romance and violence", Ebert also praised [[Vincent Gallo]]'s performance and claimed that [[Alden Ehrenreich]] is "the new [[Leonardo DiCaprio]]".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?ID=/20090617/REVIEWS/906179993 |title=Tetro Movie Review – Roger Ebert |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=June 23, 2009 |date=June 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606111859/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?ID=%2F20090617%2FREVIEWS%2F906179993 |archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref> Todd McCarthy of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave the film a B+, judging that "when Coppola finds creative [[nirvana]], he frequently has trouble delivering the full goods".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940242 |title=Tetro Review |magazine=Variety |date=May 14, 2009 |access-date=June 23, 2023 |first=Todd |last=McCarthy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619133820/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940242.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=tetro |archive-date=June 19, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Richard Corliss]] of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' gave the film a mixed review, praising Ehrenreich's performance, but claiming Coppola "has made a movie in which plenty happens, but nothing rings true".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1904079,00.html |title=Coppola's Tetro: An Offer You Can Refuse |access-date=June 23, 2023 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 11, 2009 |first=Richard |last=Corliss |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615082515/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1904079,00.html |archive-date=June 15, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> The film made $2,636,774 worldwide,<ref>{{cite web |title=Tetro (2009) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=tetro.htm |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=July 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003155745/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=tetro.htm |archive-date=October 3, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> against a budget of $5,000,000.

''[[Twixt (film)|Twixt]]'', starring [[Val Kilmer]], [[Elle Fanning]], [[Joanne Whalley]], and [[Bruce Dern]], and narrated by [[Tom Waits]], was released to film festivals in late 2011<ref>{{cite web |first=Steven |last=Davies |url=http://www.horror-asylum.com/news/article.asp?item=8659 |title=International One-Sheet For Francis Ford Coppola's New Mystery Thriller 'Twixt'; Horror Movie Entertainment News and Reviews |publisher=Horror-asylum.com |access-date=November 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405155111/http://www.horror-asylum.com/news/article.asp?item=8659 |archive-date=April 5, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was released theatrically in early 2012. It received critical acclaim in France,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hypable.com/2012/04/13/francis-ford-coppolas-twixt-opens-in-france-to-critical-acclaim/ |title=Francis Ford Coppola's 'Twixt' opens in France to critical acclaim • Hypable |publisher=Hypable.com |date=April 13, 2012 |access-date=November 1, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103031839/http://www.hypable.com/2012/04/13/francis-ford-coppolas-twixt-opens-in-france-to-critical-acclaim/ |archive-date=January 3, 2013}}</ref> but mostly negative reviews elsewhere.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twixt (2012) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twixt/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes |date=July 23, 2013 |access-date=April 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408032749/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twixt/ |archive-date=April 8, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2015, Coppola stated{{blockquote|That's why I ended my career: I decided I didn't want to make what you could call 'factory movies' anymore. I would rather just experiment with the form, and see what I could do, and [make things] that came out of my own. And little by little, the commercial film industry went into the superhero business, and everything was on such a scale. The budgets were so big, because they wanted to make the big series of films where they could make two or three parts. I felt I was no longer interested enough to put in the extraordinary effort a film takes [nowadays].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Reason-Francis-Ford-Coppola-Basically-Quit-Making-Movies-86907.html|title=The Reason Francis Ford Coppola Basically Quit Making Movies|publisher=cinemablend.com|date=October 7, 2015|access-date=April 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407214003/https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Reason-Francis-Ford-Coppola-Basically-Quit-Making-Movies-86907.html|archive-date=April 7, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>}}''[[Distant Vision]]'' is a semi-autobiographical unfinished live broadcast project created in real-time. [[Proof of concept]]s were tested before limited audiences at [[Oklahoma City Community College]] in June 2015 and [[UCLA School of Theater]] in July 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://pioneer.occc.edu/hollywood-legend-brings-vision-to-occc/|title=Hollywood legend brings vision to OCCC|access-date=October 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021021253/https://pioneer.occc.edu/hollywood-legend-brings-vision-to-occc/|archive-date=October 21, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Further director's cuts ====
In 2015, Coppola found an old Betamax tape with his original cut of ''The Cotton Club'' and decided to restore it. He had cut about a half hour out of the film before its original release at the insistence of the film's European financial backers. Due to a combination of music rights, the loss of the original negative, audio issues, and MGM's lack of interest in the project, Coppola wound up spending 500,000 dollars of his own money restoring the film.<ref>{{cite news | last=Thompson | first=Anne | title=Francis Ford Coppola: Why He Spent $500K to Restore His Most Troubled Film, 'The Cotton Club' | work=[[IndieWire]] | url=http://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/francis-coppola-recut-the-cotton-club-telluride-1201872249/ | date=September 1, 2017 | access-date=September 1, 2017 | archive-date=September 1, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901205218/http://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/francis-coppola-recut-the-cotton-club-telluride-1201872249/ | url-status=live }}</ref> It was finally finished in 2017 and premiered at the [[Telluride Film Festival]] in 2019 as ''The Cotton Club Encore''.

After finishing work on ''The Cotton Club'', Coppola began work on a director's cut of his first movie, ''Dementia 13''. For this film, Coppola removed several minutes of footage that had been added by the film's producer, Roger Corman.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3676684/francis-ford-coppolas-horror-movie-dementia-13-added-vestron-video-blu-ray-series|author=Squires, John|title=Francis Ford Coppola's Horror Movie 'Dementia 13' Being Added to the Vestron Video Blu-ray Series|date=August 4, 2021|website=Bloody Disgusting|access-date=August 4, 2021|archive-date=August 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804220654/https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3676684/francis-ford-coppolas-horror-movie-dementia-13-added-vestron-video-blu-ray-series/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, he followed it up with another director's cut of ''Apocalypse Now'', this time called "The Final Cut". It removed 20 minutes of footage that had been included in ''Apocalypse Now Redux'' and restored the film from the original negative for the first time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Falt |first1=Chris |title='Apocalypse Now': 5 Things You Need to Know About Coppola's New 'Final Cut' |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/apocalypse-now-final-cut-5-things-to-know-francis-for-coppola-new-version-1202129340/ |website=IndieWire |date=April 29, 2019 |access-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430004130/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/apocalypse-now-final-cut-5-things-to-know-francis-for-coppola-new-version-1202129340/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2020, a [[Re-edited film|re-edit]] of ''Godfather III'', ''The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone'' had a limited theatrical release, followed by digital and Blu-ray release in 2021.<ref name=guardian>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/01/the-godfather-coda-the-death-of-michael-corleone-review-francis-ford-coppola-al-pacino|title=The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone review – Coppola edits the past|work=The Guardian|date=December 1, 2020|access-date=December 5, 2020|author=Peter Bradshaw|archive-date=December 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215195205/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/01/the-godfather-coda-the-death-of-michael-corleone-review-francis-ford-coppola-al-pacino|url-status=live}}</ref> Coppola stated that ''The Godfather: Part IV'' was never made because Mario Puzo died before they had a chance to write the film.<ref name="gq-magazine.co.uk">{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Andy |date=March 16, 2011 |url=http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2011-03/15/gq-film-godfather-part-four/mario-puzo |title=The Godfather Part IV |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308111813/http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2011-03/15/gq-film-godfather-part-four/mario-puzo |url-status=dead |work=[[GQ]] |archive-date=March 8, 2012 |access-date=March 26, 2020}}</ref> [[Andy García]] has since claimed the film's script was nearly produced.<ref name="gq-magazine.co.uk" />

Coppola's most recent director's cut to date was ''B'Twixt Now and Sunrise'', a shortened version of his film ''Twixt''. It was given a select re-release in 2022.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=RialtoPictures|number=1575573145699827712|author=Rialto Pictures|title=Kick off spooky season with a double feature of two of Francis Ford Coppola's darkest films — B'TWIXT NOW AND SUNRISE, starring Val Kilmer & Elle Fanning, and DEMENTIA 13, his first film — at @alamodrafthouse locations nationwide starting tomorrow!|access-date=January 11, 2023}}</ref>

At the [[94th Academy Awards]], they celebrated the 50th anniversary of ''[[The Godfather (film)|The Godfather]]''. Coppola attended alongside [[Robert De Niro]] and [[Al Pacino]] who were greeted with a standing ovation.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/francis-ford-coppola-s-the-godfather-receives-50-year-tribute-at-oscars-2022-news-188895|title= Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather' Receives 50-Year Tribute At Oscars 2022|website= Outlook|date= March 28, 2022|accessdate= August 2, 2023|archive-date= August 2, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230802125021/https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/francis-ford-coppola-s-the-godfather-receives-50-year-tribute-at-oscars-2022-news-188895|url-status= live}}</ref>

=== 2019–present ===

==== ''Megalopolis'' (2024) ====
{{Main|Megalopolis (film)}}

In April 2019, Coppola announced that he planned to direct ''Megalopolis'', which he had been developing for many years prior.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.moviefone.com/2007/05/09/francis-ford-coppola-says-he-has-abandoned-megalopolis-project/ |title=Francis Ford Coppola Says He Has Abandoned 'Megalopolis' Project |work=The Moviefone Blog |access-date=October 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612021843/http://blog.moviefone.com/2007/05/09/francis-ford-coppola-says-he-has-abandoned-megalopolis-project/|archive-date=June 12, 2012}}</ref> Speaking to ''[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]'', he said: "I plan this year to begin my longstanding ambition to make a major work utilizing all I have learned during my long career, beginning at age 16 doing theater, and that will be an epic on a grand scale, which I've titled ''Megalopolis''."<ref>{{cite web |first=Mike Jr. |last=Fleming |url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/francis-ford-coppola-megalopolis-directing-this-year-1202588167/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404011947/https://deadline.com/2019/04/francis-ford-coppola-megalopolis-directing-this-year-1202588167/ |title=Francis Ford Coppola Ready To Make 'Megalopolis' And Is Eyeing Cast |website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]] |date=April 3, 2019 |access-date=August 18, 2019 |archive-date=April 4, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> He had planned to direct the movie, a story about the aftermath and reconstruction of New York City after a mega-disaster, many years earlier, but after the real-life disaster of the [[September 11 attacks]], the project was seen as being too sensitive.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bangstyle.com/2012/04/best-films-never-made/ |title=10 Best Films Never Made |publisher=Bangstyle.com |date=April 17, 2012 |access-date=May 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531165626/http://www.bangstyle.com/2012/04/best-films-never-made/ |archive-date=May 31, 2013}}</ref>

In August 2021, it was announced that Coppola had begun discussions with actors for the project and that he was aiming to begin principal photography in the fall of 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/francis-coppola-megalopolis-cast-oscar-isaac-forest-whitaker-jessica-lange-zendaya/ |title=Francis Coppola Eyeing Oscar Isaac, Forest Whitaker, Jessica Lange, Zendaya, and More for His Long-Awaited 'Megalopolis' |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |first=Maggie |last=Lovitt |date=August 30, 2021 |access-date=September 1, 2021 |archive-date=September 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901171622/https://collider.com/francis-coppola-megalopolis-cast-oscar-isaac-forest-whitaker-jessica-lange-zendaya/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2022, it was reported that filming was to take place from September 6, 2022, to February 2, 2023. In May 2022, the star cast was revealed: [[Adam Driver]], [[Forest Whitaker]], [[Nathalie Emmanuel]], [[Jon Voight]], and [[Laurence Fishburne]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=May 12, 2022 |title=Francis Coppola Sets 'Megalopolis' Cast: Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight & Filmmaker's 'Apocalypse Now' Teen Discovery Laurence Fishburne |url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/francis-coppola-megalopolis-adam-driver-forest-whitaker-nathalie-emmanuel-jon-voight-laurence-fishburne-1235022150/ |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=May 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512170307/https://deadline.com/2022/05/francis-coppola-megalopolis-adam-driver-forest-whitaker-nathalie-emmanuel-jon-voight-laurence-fishburne-1235022150/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In July, it was reported that filming would instead begin in November 2022 at [[Trilith Studios]] in [[Fayetteville, Georgia|Fayetteville]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ho |first=Rodney |date=July 13, 2022 |title=Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' with Adam Driver coming to shoot in Georgia |url=https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/francis-ford-coppolas-megalopolis-with-adam-driver-coming-to-shoot-in-georgia/5MMBIQIVW5ALLGB23JLXOL2JU4/ |access-date=August 31, 2022 |website=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |archive-date=July 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713205309/https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/francis-ford-coppolas-megalopolis-with-adam-driver-coming-to-shoot-in-georgia/5MMBIQIVW5ALLGB23JLXOL2JU4/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McCall |first=Kevin |date=July 14, 2022 |title=Francis Ford Coppola's Passion Project 'Megalopolis' to Shoot in Georgia |url=https://collider.com/megalopolis-filming-georgia-francis-ford-coppola-adam-driver/ |access-date=August 31, 2022 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |language=en-US |archive-date=November 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221102133726/https://collider.com/megalopolis-filming-georgia-francis-ford-coppola-adam-driver/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In August, it was revealed that [[Aubrey Plaza]], [[Talia Shire]], [[Shia LaBeouf]], [[Jason Schwartzman]], [[Kathryn Hunter]], [[Laurence Fishburne]], [[James Remar]], and [[Grace VanderWaal]] joined the cast.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=August 22, 2022 |title=Aubrey Plaza Joins Adam Driver In Francis Coppola's 'Megalopolis' |url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/aubrey-plaza-adam-driver-in-francis-ford-coppolas-megalopolis-1235097921/ |access-date=August 23, 2022 |website=Deadline |archive-date=November 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126164945/https://deadline.com/2022/08/aubrey-plaza-adam-driver-in-francis-ford-coppolas-megalopolis-1235097921/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grobar |first=Matt |date=August 31, 2022 |title='Megalopolis': Shia LaBeouf & Jason Schwartzman Among Six New Additions To Francis Ford Coppola Epic |url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/megalopolis-shia-labeouf-jason-schwartzman-join-francis-ford-coppola-epic-1235104721/ |access-date=August 31, 2022 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=August 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831205318/https://deadline.com/2022/08/megalopolis-shia-labeouf-jason-schwartzman-join-francis-ford-coppola-epic-1235104721/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In early October, it was announced that [[Chloe Fineman]], [[Dustin Hoffman]], Bailey Ives, Isabelle Kusman, and [[D.B. Sweeney]] would also be joining the cast.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|date=October 4, 2022|title=Francis Coppola Sets Final Casting For Epic 'Megalopolis'; Film Shooting This Fall In Georgia|url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/francis-coppola-sets-final-casting-for-epic-megalopolis-film-shooting-this-fall-in-georgia-1235134774/|access-date=October 12, 2022|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-date=October 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004171622/https://deadline.com/2022/10/francis-coppola-sets-final-casting-for-epic-megalopolis-film-shooting-this-fall-in-georgia-1235134774/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On February 29, 2024, ''[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]'' reported that ''Megalopolis'' will be released in [[IMAX]] in Fall 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wiseman |first1=Andreas |title=Cannes 2024: What's In The Mix? (Part One) |url=https://deadline.com/2024/02/cannes-film-festival-2024-movies-furiosa-george-miller-coppola-sorrentino-1235841515/ |access-date=February 29, 2024 |work=Deadline Hollywood |date=February 29, 2024 |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515174947/https://deadline.com/2024/02/cannes-film-festival-2024-movies-furiosa-george-miller-coppola-sorrentino-1235841515/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On April 9, 2024, it was revealed that ''Megalopolis'' would be premiering in competition at the [[2024 Cannes Film Festival|77th Cannes Film Festival]].

==== Future projects ====
{{Main|Francis Ford Coppola's unrealized projects}}

In August 2024, one month ahead of the release of ''Megalopolis'', Coppola told ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' that he is not going to retire after his longtime passion project's release, intending to work on two projects: an adaptation of ''[[The Glimpses of the Moon (Wharton novel)|The Glimpses of the Moon]]'' with "strong dance and musical elements"<ref>{{cite news|last=Collin|first=Robbie|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/director-francis-ford-coppola-interview/|title=Francis Ford Coppola: 'Hollywood doesn't want me any more'|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=September 13, 2024|access-date=September 15, 2024|archive-date=September 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915001308/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/director-francis-ford-coppola-interview/|url-status=live}}</ref> he plans to produce in [[England]] and ''[[Distant Vision]]'', a "live cinema" project he has been working on since 2015 that tells the fictionalized story of three generations within an [[Italian Americans|Italian American]] family during the phenomenon of [[television]]'s invention.<ref name="RollingStoneAug2024" />

==Commercial ventures==

===American Zoetrope===
{{Main|American Zoetrope}}

In 1971, Coppola produced [[George Lucas|George Lucas']] first feature film, ''[[THX 1138]]''. Shortly after completion of production they brought the finished film to [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]], along with several other scripts for potential projects at their newly founded company, American Zoetrope. However, studio executives strongly disliked all of the scripts, including ''THX'', and demanded that Coppola repay the $300,000 they had loaned him for the Zoetrope studio, as well as insisting on cutting five minutes from the film. The debt nearly closed Zoetrope and forced Coppola to reluctantly focus on ''[[The Godfather]]''.<ref name="Featured Filmmaker: Francis Ford Coppola">[http://movies.ign.com/articles/430/430301p1.html Featured Filmmaker: Francis Ford Coppola – IGN] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511115731/http://movies.ign.com/articles/430/430301p1.html |date=May 11, 2011 }}. Retrieved October 18, 2010.</ref>
American Zoetrope produced the film ''[[Clownhouse]]'', the director of which, [[Victor Salva]], was convicted of child sexual abuse and child pornography offences occurring during the making of that film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Welkos |first=Robert |date=October 25, 1995 |title=Disney Movie's Director a Convicted Child Molester : Hollywood: He says, 'I paid for my mistakes dearly,' but victim of incident several years ago urges boycott of 'Powder.' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-25-me-60848-story.html |access-date=August 25, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=August 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815074752/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-25-me-60848-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2006, Coppola said, "You have to remember, while this was a tragedy, that the difference in age between Victor and the boy was very small -- Victor was practically a child himself." Salva was 29 at the time while the boy was 12.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldstein |first=Patrick |date=June 11, 2006 |title=Victor Salva's horror stories |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-11-ca-salva11-story.html |access-date=August 25, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=September 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930143724/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-11-ca-salva11-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Zoetrope Virtual Studio====
American Zoetrope also administers the Zoetrope Virtual Studio, a complete motion picture production studio for members only. Launched in June 2000 as the culmination of more than four years of work, it brings together departments for screenwriters, directors, producers and other filmmaker artists, as well as new departments for other creative endeavors such as the short story vending machine project.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Short-Story Vending Machine, Dispensing Free Stimulation|url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/11597242/a-short-story-vending-machine-dispensing-free-stimulation|access-date=September 9, 2021|website=KQED|date=May 22, 2016|language=en-us|archive-date=September 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909212246/https://www.kqed.org/arts/11597242/a-short-story-vending-machine-dispensing-free-stimulation|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== ''Pinocchio'' dispute with Warner Bros. ====
In the late 1980s, Coppola started considering concepts for a motion picture based upon the 19th-century [[Carlo Collodi]] novel ''[[The Adventures of Pinocchio]]'', and in 1991, Coppola and [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]] began discussing the project as well as two others, one involving the life of [[J. Edgar Hoover]] and the other based on the children's novel ''[[The Secret Garden#Adaptations|The Secret Garden]]''. These discussions led to negotiations for Coppola to both produce and direct the ''Pinocchio'' project for Warner Bros. as well as ''[[The Secret Garden (1993 film)|The Secret Garden]]'' (which was made in 1993 and produced by [[American Zoetrope]], but directed by [[Agnieszka Holland]]) and ''Hoover'', which never came to fruition. A film was eventually made by [[Clint Eastwood]] in 2011 titled ''[[J. Edgar]]'', which was distributed by Warner Bros.

However, in mid-1991, Coppola and Warner Bros. came to a disagreement over the compensation to Coppola for his directing services on ''Pinocchio''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.schleimerlaw.com/CourtAppealCoppola.htm |title=In the Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District |agency=Schleimer Law |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716014033/http://www.schleimerlaw.com/CourtAppealCoppola.htm |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1994, Coppola later approached another studio, [[Columbia Pictures]], to produce the film.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brennan |first=Judy |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-17-ca-16701-story.html |title=No Lie: Coppola Eyes 'Pinocchio' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 17, 1994 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |url-access=limited |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902051318/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-17-ca-16701-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Warner Brothers then wrote to Columbia, stating it had held the rights to Coppola's project, which led to Columbia later dropping the project. Coppola filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros, alleging they had wrongfully prevented Columbia Pictures from making the film.<ref name="Pinocchio_NYTimes">{{cite news |last=Pollack |first=Andrew |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/10/us/coppola-awarded-80-million-for-unmade-pinocchio-movie.html |title=Coppola Awarded $80 Million For Unmade Pinocchio Movie |work=The New York Times |date=July 10, 1998 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902051317/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/10/us/coppola-awarded-80-million-for-unmade-pinocchio-movie.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The parties deferred this issue and a settlement was finally reached on July 3, 1998, when the jurors in the resultant court case awarded Coppola $20&nbsp;million as compensation for losing the ''Pinocchio'' film project.<ref>{{cite news |last=Matzer |first=Malta |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-03-fi-321-story.html |title=Jury Awards $20 Million to Coppola in 'Pinocchio' Suit |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 3, 1998 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |url-access=limited |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902051320/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-03-fi-321-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On that same day, Warner Bros. stated it would appeal the decision.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1998/07/03/Studio-will-appeal-20-million-award/4813899438400/ |title=Studio will appeal $20 million award |work=[[United Press International]] |date=July 3, 1998 |access-date=September 2, 2022}}</ref> A week later, Coppola was awarded a further $60&nbsp;million in punitive damages on top, stemming from his charges that Warner Bros. sabotaged his intended version.<ref name="Pinocchio_NYTimes" /> However, in October 1998, then-Superior Court Judge Madeleine Flier reversed the jury's $60&nbsp;million award to Coppola.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-10-16-9810150450-story.html |title=Coppola Loses $60 Million Award |work=Sun-Sentinel |date=October 16, 1998 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |url-access=limited |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902051334/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-10-16-9810150450-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Warner Bros. and Coppola then appealed each other's ruling, in which Coppola sought to have his $60&nbsp;million award restored. In March 2001, the [[California Court of Appeals]] decided against Coppola on both counts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Duncan |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/mar/22/filmnews.film |title=Coppola loses $20m compensation for lost Pinocchio |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=March 22, 2001 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902051321/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/mar/22/filmnews.film |url-status=live }}</ref> In July 2001, the [[California Supreme Court]] refused to hear the appellate decision, bringing the litigation battle to a conclusive end.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shprintz |first=Janet |url=https://variety.com/2001/biz/news/state-top-court-cuts-pinocchio-loose-1117803056/ |title=State top court cuts 'Pinocchio' loose |work=Variety |date=July 18, 2001 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902051334/https://variety.com/2001/biz/news/state-top-court-cuts-pinocchio-loose-1117803056/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== ''Contact'' dispute with Carl Sagan/Warner Bros. ====
{{Main|Contact (1997 American film)#Lawsuits|l1 = Contact}}

During the filming of ''Contact'' on December 28, 1996, Coppola filed a lawsuit against [[Carl Sagan]] and [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]] Sagan had died a week earlier,<ref name="Cope">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |url=https://variety.com/1996/scene/vpage/zoetrope-sues-over-contact-1117436227/ |title=Zoetrope sues over 'Contact' |date=December 30, 1996 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=January 5, 2021 |archive-date=January 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104152946/https://variety.com/1996/scene/vpage/zoetrope-sues-over-contact-1117436227/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Scott">{{cite news |first=Janet |last=Shprintz |url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/coppola-loses-contact-1117780544/ |title=Coppola loses 'Contact' |date=February 13, 2000 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=January 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025010810/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117780544 |archive-date=October 25, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Coppola claimed that Sagan's novel ''[[Contact (novel)|Contact]]'' was based on a story the pair had developed for a television special back in 1975 titled ''First Contact''.<ref name=Cope/> Under their development agreement, Coppola and Sagan were to split proceeds from the project as well as any novel Sagan would write with [[American Zoetrope]] and [[Sesame Workshop|Children's Television Workshop Productions]]. The television program was never produced, but in 1985, [[Simon & Schuster]] published Sagan's ''Contact'' and Warner Bros. moved forward with development of a film adaptation. Coppola sought at least $250,000 in compensatory damages and an injunction against production or distribution of the film.<ref name=Cope/> Even though Sagan was shown to have violated some of the terms of the agreement, the case was dismissed in February 1998 because Coppola had waited too long to file suit.<ref name="dismiss">{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Karon |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/coppola-s-contact-claim-is-dismissed-1117467799/ |title=Coppola's 'Contact' claim is dismissed |date=February 17, 1998 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=January 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025010840/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117467799 |archive-date=October 25, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Uptown Theater===
George Altamura, a real estate developer, announced in 2003 that he had partnered with several people, including Coppola, in a project to restore the [[Uptown Theater (Napa, California)|Uptown Theater]] in [[Downtown Napa, California|downtown Napa]], California, in order to create a live entertainment venue.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Osborne |first=Heather |title=Altamura tells students he's headed for silver screen |journal=[[Napa Valley Register]] |publisher=Lee Enterprises, Inc. |location=Napa, CA |date=July 17, 2003 |url=http://napavalleyregister.com/news/altamura-tells-students-he-s-headed-for-silver-screen/article_c52489ee-0a00-55ff-a4de-b1972ce9f6a5.html |access-date=September 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401134048/http://napavalleyregister.com/news/altamura-tells-students-he-s-headed-for-silver-screen/article_c52489ee-0a00-55ff-a4de-b1972ce9f6a5.html |archive-date=April 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Francis Ford Coppola Presents===
Coppola is the owner of '''Francis Ford Coppola Presents''', a [[lifestyle brand]] under which he markets goods from companies he owns or controls. It includes films and videos, resorts, cafes, a literary magazine, a line of pastas and pasta sauces called Mammarella Foods, and a winery.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Italia Coppola: The Amazing Cook|url=https://www.coppolafeast.com/en/about/italia-coppola|access-date=December 16, 2020|website=www.coppolafeast.com|language=en-US|archive-date=January 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122023205/https://www.coppolafeast.com/en/about/italia-coppola|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=October 14, 2001|title=The good food father|url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2001/oct/14/foodanddrink.features|access-date=December 16, 2020|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=October 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022010224/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2001/oct/14/foodanddrink.features|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Family Coppola {{!}} Food|url=https://www.thefamilycoppola.com/en/store/tfc/f/food|access-date=December 16, 2020|website=www.thefamilycoppola.com|archive-date=December 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201202238/https://www.thefamilycoppola.com/en/store/tfc/f/food|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Wineries===
====Francis Ford Coppola Winery====
The Francis Ford Coppola Winery between [[Healdsburg]] and [[Geyserville, California]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.franciscoppolawinery.com/wine |title=Discover Our Wines &#124 |website=Francis Ford Coppola Winery |access-date=May 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518182304/http://www.franciscoppolawinery.com/wine |archive-date=May 18, 2013}}</ref> located on the former Chateau Souverain Winery,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Davis |first=Kip |title=Coppola's wine chateau also is family-friendly |journal=[[Napa Valley Register]] |publisher=Lee Enterprises, Inc. |location=Napa, CA |date=October 15, 2010 |url=http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/wine/article_57207bb0-d7fd-11df-aeef-001cc4c002e0.html |access-date=October 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018052041/http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/wine/article_57207bb0-d7fd-11df-aeef-001cc4c002e0.html |archive-date=October 18, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> where he has opened a family-friendly facility, is influenced by the idea of the [[Tivoli Gardens]] in [[Copenhagen]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.franciscoppolawinery.com/behind-the-scenes/vision |title=Vision |website=Francis Coppola Winery |access-date=May 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512045503/http://www.franciscoppolawinery.com/behind-the-scenes/vision |archive-date=May 12, 2013}}</ref> with swimming pools, [[bocce]] courts, and a restaurant named Rustic. The winery displays several of Coppola's [[Academy Awards|Oscars]] along with memorabilia from his movies, including [[Vito Corleone]]'s desk from ''[[The Godfather]]'' and a restored [[1948 Tucker Sedan]] as used in ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]''.

In August 2021, Coppola sold Francis Ford Coppola Winery and Virginia Dare Winery to Delicato Family Wines.<ref>{{cite news |last=Worobiec |first=MaryAnn |url=https://www.winespectator.com/articles/delicato-family-wines-acquires-francis-ford-coppola-winery |title=Delicato Family Wines Acquires Francis Ford Coppola Winery |work=Wine Spectator |date=June 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624235612/https://www.winespectator.com/articles/delicato-family-wines-acquires-francis-ford-coppola-winery |archive-date=June 24, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Inglenook Winery====
Coppola, with his family, expanded his business ventures to include winemaking in California's [[Napa Valley AVA|Napa Valley]], when in 1975, he purchased the former home and adjoining vineyard of [[Gustave Niebaum]] in [[Rutherford, California]] using proceeds from ''[[The Godfather]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hamlin |first=Suzanne |title=A Director's Vision for Celebrating Food, Wine and Film |work=The New York Times |location=Rutherford, CA |date=July 10, 1996 |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E3DB1139F933A25754C0A960958260 |access-date=October 15, 2010 |archive-date=February 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210104019/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/10/garden/a-director-s-vision-for-celebrating-food-wine-and-film.html |url-status=live }}</ref> His winery produced its first vintage in 1977 with the help of his father, wife, and children stomping the grapes barefoot. Every year, the family has a harvest party to continue the tradition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.novusvinum.com/interviews/coppola.html |title=Francis Ford Coppola Winemaker and Sommelier Interviews |access-date=November 30, 2010 |publisher=Novus Vinum |date=September 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511121625/http://www.novusvinum.com/interviews/coppola.html |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

After purchasing the property, he produced wine under the Niebaum-Coppola label. He purchased the former [[Inglenook Winery]] chateau in 1995,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2013/06/17/qa-francis-ford-coppola-talks-about-his-passion-for-wine/ |title=Q&A: Francis Ford Coppola Explains His Passion For Wine |magazine=Forbes |date=June 17, 2013 |access-date=May 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514184821/http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2013/06/17/qa-francis-ford-coppola-talks-about-his-passion-for-wine/ |archive-date=May 14, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> and renamed it to [[Rubicon Estate Winery]] in 2006. On April 11, 2011, Coppola acquired the Inglenook [[trademark]]<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Wine Spectator |access-date=December 5, 2011 |url=http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/44791 |title=Coppola Reunites Inglenook Name with Its Vineyards |first=James |last=Laube |date=April 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210181541/http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/44791 |archive-date=December 10, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> paying more, he said, for the trademark than he did for the entire estate<ref>{{cite web |last=Lechmere |first=Adam |url=http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/527661/francis-ford-coppola-to-return-inglenook-to-lower-alcohol |title=Francis Ford Coppola to return Inglenook to 'lower alcohol' |work=[[Decanter (magazine)|Decanter]] |date=June 2, 2011 |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604004237/http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/527661/francis-ford-coppola-to-return-inglenook-to-lower-alcohol |archive-date=June 4, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and announced that the estate would once again be known by its historic original name, Inglenook. Its grapes are entirely organically grown.

====Domaine de Broglie====
In October 2018, Coppola and family purchased the Vista Hills winery in Dayton, Oregon,<ref>{{cite news |last=Weed |first=Augustus |url=https://www.winespectator.com/articles/francis-ford-coppola-wine-company-buys-oregon-vista-hills |title=Francis Ford Coppola's Wine Company Buys Oregon's Vista Hills Vineyard |work=[[Wine Spectator]] |date=October 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805162738/https://www.winespectator.com/articles/francis-ford-coppola-wine-company-buys-oregon-vista-hills |archive-date=August 5, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> and in 2019 renamed it to Domaine de Broglie.<ref>{{cite news |last=Archer |first=L. M. |url=https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/210411 |title=The Family Coppola Unveils Domaine de Broglie |work=Wine Business |date=March 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523081754/https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/210411/ |archive-date=May 23, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Resorts===
[[File:Palazzo Coppola.JPG|thumb|''Palazzo Margherita'' in [[Bernalda]], owned by Coppola]]
Included in the Francis Ford Coppola Presents [[lifestyle brand]] are several hotels and resorts, part of Coppola's Hideaway company. The Blancaneaux Lodge in [[Belize]], which from the early 1980s was a family retreat until it was opened to the public in 1993 as a 20-room luxury resort and The Turtle Inn, in [[Placencia]], Belize, (both of which have won several prestigious awards including "Travel + Leisure's World's Best: Best Resort in Central & South America");<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coppolaresorts.com/blancaneaux |title=Blancaneaux Lodge, Belize Luxury Hotels – Blancaneaux Lodge at Coppola Resorts |publisher=Coppolaresorts.com |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517121242/http://www.coppolaresorts.com/blancaneaux |archive-date=May 17, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coppolaresorts.com/turtleinn |title=Turtle Inn, Luxury Resorts in Belize – Turtle Inn at Coppola Resorts |publisher=Coppolaresorts.com |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526074414/http://www.coppolaresorts.com/turtleinn/ |archive-date=May 26, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> La Lancha in [[Lago Petén Itzá]], [[Guatemala]];<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coppolaresorts.com/lalancha |title=La Lancha, Boutique Hotels Guatemala – La Lancha at Coppola Resorts |publisher=Coppolaresorts.com |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517140703/http://www.coppolaresorts.com/lalancha |archive-date=May 17, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Jardín Escondido in [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coppolaresorts.com/jardinescondido |title=Jardin Escondido |publisher=Coppolaresorts.com |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518035248/http://www.coppolaresorts.com/jardinescondido |archive-date=May 18, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Palazzo Margherita (Bernalda)|Palazzo Margherita]] in [[Bernalda]], Italy;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coppolaresorts.com/palazzomargherita |title=Palazzo Margherita – Francis Ford Coppola Luxury Hotel in Bernalda Italy |publisher=Coppolaresorts.com |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526005714/http://www.coppolaresorts.com/palazzomargherita/ |archive-date=May 26, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the All-Movie Hotel in [[Peachtree City, Georgia]], US.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/francis-ford-coppola-all-movie-hotel-atlanta-1235024353/|title=You Can Now Stay Where ''Megalopolis'' Was Completed: Introducing Coppola's All-Movie Hotel|date=July 10, 2024|first=Samantha|last=Bergeson|website=[[IndieWire]]|access-date=July 10, 2024|archive-date=July 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710210524/https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/francis-ford-coppola-all-movie-hotel-atlanta-1235024353/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Cafe and restaurant===
In San Francisco, Coppola owns a restaurant named [[American Zoetrope#Cafe Zoetrope|Cafe Zoetrope]], located in the Sentinel Building where American Zoetrope is based.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cafecoppola.com/cafezoetrope/ |title=Cafe Zoetrope |publisher=Cafecoppola.com |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525154815/http://www.cafecoppola.com/cafezoetrope/ |archive-date=May 25, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It serves traditional Italian cuisine and wine from his [[Inglenook (Winery)|personal estate vineyard]]. For 14 years from 1994, Coppola co-owned the Rubicon restaurant in San Francisco along with [[Robin Williams]] and [[Robert De Niro]]. Rubicon closed in August 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Rubicon-Shuttered_4283 |title=Rubicon Shuttered &#124; News &#124; News & Features |publisher=Wine Spectator |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814223416/http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Rubicon-Shuttered_4283 |archive-date=August 14, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Literary publications===
{{anchor|City Magazine}}
Coppola bought into the San Francisco-based magazine ''City of San Francisco'' in 1973,<ref name="time/magazine/CitizenCoppola">
*{{cite magazine |title=Citizen Coppola |url=https://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917585,00.html |access-date=October 20, 2023 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 30, 1975 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007115327/https://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917585,00.html |archive-date=October 7, 2008 |page=1}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Citizen Coppola |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917585-2,00.html |access-date=October 20, 2023 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 30, 1975 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204072935/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917585-2,00.html |archive-date=February 4, 2010 |page=2}}
</ref><!-- https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/city-san-francisco-magazine-sue-142457815 --><ref name="theava/4034">{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Stephen |title=Coppola's Descent into Journalism: Apocalypse Then |url=https://theava.com/archives/4034 |access-date=October 20, 2023 |work=[[Anderson Valley Advertiser]] |date=February 10, 2010 |archive-date=October 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031072612/https://theava.com/archives/4034 |url-status=live }}</ref> with the intent of publishing<ref name="truthdig/godfather-gonzo">{{cite news |last1=Richardson |first1=Peter |title=Warren Hinckle: Remembering the Godfather of Gonzo |url=https://www.truthdig.com/articles/warren-hinckle-remembering-the-godfather-of-gonzo/ |access-date=October 20, 2023 |work=[[Truthdig]] |date=August 27, 2016 |archive-date=October 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031072613/https://www.truthdig.com/articles/warren-hinckle-remembering-the-godfather-of-gonzo/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="encyclopedia.com/francis-ford-coppola">{{cite web |title=Francis Ford Coppola |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/francis-ford-coppola |website=[[Encyclopedia.com]] |access-date=October 20, 2023 |archive-date=October 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031072611/https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/francis-ford-coppola |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="thenation/authors/warren-hinckle">{{cite news |title=Warren Hinckle |url=https://www.thenation.com/authors/warren-hinckle/ |access-date=October 20, 2023 |work=The Nation |date=April 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205145140/https://www.thenation.com/authors/warren-hinckle/ |archive-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref><ref name="altaonline/a3503">{{cite news |last1=McDonell |first1=Terry |title=Warren Would Have Written a Better Headline |url=https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a3503/little-triumphs/ |access-date=October 20, 2023 |work=Alta Journal |date=April 23, 2018 |archive-date=October 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031074122/https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a3503/little-triumphs/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a "service magazine" that informed readers about sights and activities in selected cities.<ref name="Babitz">{{cite book |last1=Babitz |first1=Eve |author-link1=Eve Babitz |title=I Used To Be Charming |date=2019 |publisher=New York Review of Books |location=New York |isbn=9781681373799 |page=34 |chapter=All This and ''The Godfather'' Too}}</ref> The magazine was unsuccessful,<ref name="deseret/19237060">{{cite news |title=COPPOLA'S MAGAZINE |url=https://www.deseret.com/1996/4/17/19237060/coppola-s-magazine |access-date=October 20, 2023 |work=Deseret News |date=April 17, 1996 |language=en |archive-date=October 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031072612/https://www.deseret.com/1996/4/17/19237060/coppola-s-magazine |url-status=live }}</ref> and he lost $1.5&nbsp;million on this venture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theoscarsite.com/whoswho5/coppola_f.htm |title=Francis Ford Coppola(1939–):Biography from Baseline's Encyclopedia of Film |access-date=October 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203053323/http://theoscarsite.com/whoswho5/coppola_f.htm |archive-date=December 3, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1997, Coppola co-founded with [[Adrienne Brodeur]], the [[literary magazine]] ''[[Zoetrope: All-Story]]'' which was devoted to short stories and design. The magazine publishes fiction by emerging writers alongside more recognizable names, such as [[Woody Allen]], [[Margaret Atwood]], [[Haruki Murakami]], [[Alice Munro]], [[Don DeLillo]], [[Mary Gaitskill]], and [[Edward Albee]]; as well as essays, including ones from [[Mario Vargas Llosa]], [[David Mamet]], [[Steven Spielberg]], and [[Salman Rushdie]]. Each issue is designed, in its entirety, by a prominent artist, one usually working outside his / her expected field. Previous guest designers include [[Gus Van Sant]], [[Tom Waits]], [[Laurie Anderson]], [[Marjane Satrapi]], [[Guillermo del Toro]], [[David Bowie]], [[David Byrne]], and [[Dennis Hopper]]. Coppola serves as founding editor and publisher of ''All-Story''.

=== Cannabis brand ===
In 2018, Coppola launched Sana Company LLC and released a [[cannabis]] brand known as The Grower's Series.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rense|first=Sarah|date=November 5, 2018|title=Francis Ford Coppola Made a Cannabis to Go With His Wine|url=https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a24679880/francis-ford-coppola-cannabis-brand/|access-date=August 25, 2021|website=Esquire|language=en-US|archive-date=August 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825163745/https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a24679880/francis-ford-coppola-cannabis-brand/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Shapiro|first=Katie|title=Francis Ford Coppola Goes From Wine To Weed With New Cannabis Lifestyle Company|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/katieshapiro/2018/11/02/francis-ford-coppola-goes-from-wine-to-weed-with-new-cannabis-lifestyle-company/|access-date=August 25, 2021|website=Forbes|language=en|archive-date=August 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825063815/https://www.forbes.com/sites/katieshapiro/2018/11/02/francis-ford-coppola-goes-from-wine-to-weed-with-new-cannabis-lifestyle-company/|url-status=live}}</ref> The collection was created in partnership with the Humboldt Brothers, a [[Humboldt County, California|Humboldt County]] cannabis farm.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 2, 2018|title=Coppola adds cannabis to his wine empire|url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/business/film-director-francis-ford-coppola-jumps-into-cannabis-industry/|access-date=August 25, 2021|website=Santa Rosa Press Democrat|language=en-US|archive-date=August 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825163735/https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/business/film-director-francis-ford-coppola-jumps-into-cannabis-industry/|url-status=live}}</ref> Coppola debuted the brand in [[San Francisco]], [[California]] in October 2018 at the private cannabis dining club series known as Thursday Infused, organized by The Herb Somm, [[Jamie Evans]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 31, 2018|title=Francis Ford Coppola Debuts Cannabis Line at Thursday Infused|url=https://cannabisnow.com/francis-ford-coppola-debuts-cannabis-line-at-thursday-infused/|access-date=August 25, 2021|website=Cannabis Now|language=en-US|archive-date=August 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825062415/https://cannabisnow.com/francis-ford-coppola-debuts-cannabis-line-at-thursday-infused/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Coppola packaged The Grower's Series in a mock black tin wine bottle resembling his wine brand.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Carl|first=Tim|title=Tim Carl: Coppola and Cannabis, a veteran vintner releases 'The Growers' Series'|url=https://napavalleyregister.com/community/star/news/tim-carl-coppola-and-cannabis-a-veteran-vintner-releases-the-growers-series/article_bbae8284-1235-5873-88f8-551b88ffa310.html|access-date=August 25, 2021|website=Napa Valley Register|date=November 10, 2018|language=en|archive-date=August 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825163735/https://napavalleyregister.com/community/star/news/tim-carl-coppola-and-cannabis-a-veteran-vintner-releases-the-growers-series/article_bbae8284-1235-5873-88f8-551b88ffa310.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Grower's Series showcases three [[cannabis strain]]s: a [[Cannabis sativa|sativa]], [[Cannabis indica|indica]] and hybrid.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 12, 2019|title=Francis Ford Coppola's New Cash Crop: $99 Eighth-Ounces|url=https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/francis-ford-coppolas-new-cash-crop-99-eighth-ounces|access-date=October 22, 2021|website=Leafly|language=en-US|archive-date=October 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022162257/https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/francis-ford-coppolas-new-cash-crop-99-eighth-ounces|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Whisky advertisement ===
Coppola appeared in a commercial for [[Suntory]] Reserve in 1980 alongside [[Akira Kurosawa]]; the commercial was filmed while Kurosawa was making ''[[Kagemusha]]'', which Coppola produced with George Lucas.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://dekanta.com/take-a-look-at-these-japanese-whisky-commercials/ |title=See these Japanese whisky commercials! |first=Henry |last=Baldvin |date=February 16, 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028222729/https://dekanta.com/take-a-look-at-these-japanese-whisky-commercials/ |archive-date=October 28, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Personal life ==
=== Family ===
{{see also|Coppola family}}
In 1963, Coppola married writer and documentary filmmaker [[Eleanor Coppola|Eleanor Jessie Neil]]. She went on to co-direct ''[[Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse]]''. Together they had three children: [[Gian-Carlo Coppola|Gian-Carlo]], [[Roman Coppola|Roman]], and [[Sofia Coppola|Sofia]], all of whom became filmmakers. Gian-Carlo died in 1986 at the age of 22 in a speedboating accident. He had one child, [[Gia Coppola]], also a filmmaker. Radio personality [[Marc Coppola (actor)|Marc Coppola]]; filmmaker [[Christopher Coppola]]; TV writer and film producer Matthew Orlando Shire; and actors [[Nicolas Cage]] and [[Robert Schwartzman|Robert]] & [[Jason Schwartzman]] are Coppola's nephews. He had an extramarital affair with [[Melissa Mathison]]—who would later write ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]''—that began when she was his assistant on ''The Godfather Part II'' and lasted through the making of ''[[Apocalypse Now]]'', nearly leading to Coppola's divorce.<ref>{{cite book
	| last = Wasson
	| first = Sam
	| date = 2003
	| title = The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story
	| quote = [Eleanor Coppola] had discovered [Francis] was having an affair, several affairs; there was, for starters, Playboy Bunny Linda Carpenter... There was the kids' former babysitter, his assistant on Godfather II, Melissa Mathison. They had been seeing each other since then.
	| location = New York
	| publisher = Harper
	| page = 178
	| isbn = 9780063037847
}}</ref>

Eleanor Coppola died on April 12, 2024, at the age of 87.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Coyle |first1=Jake |last2=Bahr |first2=Lindsey |title=Eleanor Coppola, matriarch of a filmmaking family, dies at 87 |url=https://apnews.com/article/eleanor-coppola-dead-d1174964d8fef8a1b63ced6a9387f62b |website=[[Associated Press]] |date=April 12, 2024 |access-date=April 12, 2024 |archive-date=April 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413003101/https://apnews.com/article/eleanor-coppola-dead-d1174964d8fef8a1b63ced6a9387f62b |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Politics ===
During the [[1980 United States presidential election]], Coppola filmed a mass televised rally for [[California Governor]] and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] presidential candidate [[Jerry Brown]] at the [[Wisconsin State Capitol]] in [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]. The rally failed in its goal to draw attention away from the other [[1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries|Democratic primary]] candidates [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[Ted Kennedy]], forcing Brown to drop out of the race.<ref>{{Cite web|last=dmoe@madison.com, 608-252-6446|first=DOUG MOE|title=Doug Moe: 35 years on, recalling 'Apocalypse Brown'|url=https://madison.com/news/local/columnists/doug-moe/doug-moe-35-years-on-recalling-apocalypse-brown/article_1b614603-1d07-51b7-a984-9b793fecf730.html|access-date=November 7, 2021|website=madison.com|date=March 27, 2015|language=en|archive-date=November 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107213712/https://madison.com/news/local/columnists/doug-moe/doug-moe-35-years-on-recalling-apocalypse-brown/article_1b614603-1d07-51b7-a984-9b793fecf730.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Over the years, Coppola has worked with several Democratic political candidates, including [[Mike Thompson (California politician)|Mike Thompson]] and [[Nancy Pelosi]] for the [[U.S. House of Representatives]], and [[Barbara Boxer]] and [[Alan Cranston]] for the [[U.S. Senate]].<ref>[http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Francis_Ford_Coppola.php Francis Ford Coppola] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517081459/http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Francis_Ford_Coppola.php|date=May 17, 2008}}. Newsmeat.</ref>

== Favorite films ==
In 2012, Coppola participated in the ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' film polls of that year. It is held every ten years to select the greatest films of all time, by asking contemporary directors to select ten films of their choice.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/voter/948|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160223004307/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people//sightandsoundpoll2012/voter/948|url-status= dead|archive-date= February 23, 2016|title= Francis Ford Coppola|website= [[British Film Institute|BFI]]|accessdate= July 4, 2022}}</ref>

Coppola's selections were:

{{div col | colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[The Apartment]]'' (United States, 1960)
* ''[[Ashes and Diamonds (film)|Ashes and Diamonds]]'' (Poland, 1958)
* ''[[The Bad Sleep Well]]'' (Japan, 1960)
* ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' (United States, 1946)
* ''[[I Vitelloni]]'' (Italy, 1953)
* ''[[The King of Comedy (film)|The King of Comedy]]'' (United States, 1983)
* ''[[Raging Bull]]'' (United States, 1980)
* ''[[Singin' in the Rain]]'' (United States, 1952)
* ''[[Sunrise (1927 film)|Sunrise]]'' (United States, 1927)
* ''[[Yojimbo]]'' (Japan, 1961)
{{div col end}}

==Filmography==
{{further|Francis Ford Coppola filmography}}
{|class="wikitable"
|+Directed features
|-
! Year
! Title
|-
| 1963
| ''[[Dementia 13]]''
|-
| 1966
| ''[[You're a Big Boy Now]]''
|-
| 1968
| ''[[Finian's Rainbow (1968 film)|Finian's Rainbow]]''
|-
| 1969
| ''{{sortname|The|Rain People}}''
|-
| 1972
| ''{{sortname|The|Godfather}}''
|-
|rowspan=2| 1974
| ''{{sortname|The|Conversation}}''
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Godfather Part II}}''
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Apocalypse Now]]''
|-
| 1982
| ''[[One from the Heart]]''
|-
|rowspan=2| 1983
| ''{{sortname|The|Outsiders|The Outsiders (film)}}''
|-
| ''[[Rumble Fish]]''
|-
| 1984
| ''{{sortname|The|Cotton Club|The Cotton Club (film)}}''
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Peggy Sue Got Married]]''
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Gardens of Stone]]''
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]''
|-
| 1990
| ''{{sortname|The|Godfather Part III}}''
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)|Bram Stoker's Dracula]]''
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Jack (1996 film)|Jack]]''
|-
| 1997
| ''{{sortname|The|Rainmaker|The Rainmaker (1997 film)}}''
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Youth Without Youth (film)|Youth Without Youth]]''
|-
| 2009
| ''[[Tetro]]''
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Twixt (film)|Twixt]]''
|-
| 2024
| ''[[Megalopolis (film)|Megalopolis]]''
|}

==Awards and honors==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppola}}

For ''The Godfather Part II'' and ''The Conversation'', Coppola was the third director to have two nominations for Best Picture in the same year. [[Victor Fleming]] was the first, with ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' and [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|''The Wizard of Oz'']] in 1939; [[Alfred Hitchcock]] repeated the feat the next year with ''[[Foreign Correspondent (film)|Foreign Correspondent]]'' and [[Rebecca (1940 film)|''Rebecca'']]. Since Coppola, two other directors have done the same: [[Herbert Ross]] with ''[[The Goodbye Girl]]'' and ''[[The Turning Point (1977 film)|The Turning Point]]'' in 1977 and [[Steven Soderbergh]] with ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'' and ''[[Traffic (2000 film)|Traffic]]'' in 2000. He is one of ten directors to receive the Palme d'Or twice, for ''The Conversation'' and ''Apocalypse Now''.

On October 15, 2024, after having received the statue of the Capitoline Wolf, Rome's highest honor, a street in the same capital city was named after him as a further sign of the connection between the filmmaker and the city.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/rome-honours-francis-ford-coppola.html | title=Rome honours Francis Ford Coppola | date=October 15, 2024 }}</ref> In 2024, he was honored by the [[Kennedy Center]].<ref name=KennedyCenter/> Introducing him, his friend [[George Lucas]] said: “What Francis does creatively is jump off cliffs. When you spend enough time with Francis, you begin to believe you can jump off cliffs, too.”<ref>{{cite news| title=Kennedy Center pays tribute to Coppola, Raitt and The Apollo| date=December 9, 2024| work=[[National Public Radio]]| url= https://www.npr.org/2024/12/09/g-s1-37437/kennedy-center-coppola-the-grateful-dead-raitt-sandoval-and-the-apollo}}</ref> He received the [[AFI Life Achievement Award]] in April, 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shukla |first=Piyush |date=2024-10-31 |title=Francis Ford Coppola to Receive 50th AFI Life Achievement Award |url=https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/francis-ford-coppola-to-receive-50th-afi-life-achievement-award/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=adda247 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

<!--Table is for nominations & wins received by films on which Coppola received either the director credit and/or writer credit-->
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Awards and nominations received for films directed by Coppola
|-
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Title
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Academy Awards
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| BAFTA Awards
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Golden Globe Awards
|-
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
|-
|1966
| ''[[You're a Big Boy Now]]''
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|3
|
|-
| 1968
| ''[[Finian's Rainbow (1968 film)|Finian's Rainbow]]''
|align=center|2
|
|
|
|align=center|5
|
|-
|1972
|''[[The Godfather]]''
|align=center|10
|align=center|3
|align=center|5
|align=center|1
|align=center|7
|align=center|6
|-
|rowspan=2|1974
|''[[The Conversation]]''
|align=center|3
|
|align=center|5
|align=center|2
|align=center|4
|
|-
|''[[The Godfather Part II]]''
|align=center|11
|align=center|6
|align=center|4
|align=center|1
|align=center|6
|
|-
|1979
|''[[Apocalypse Now]]''
|align=center|8
|align=center|2
|align=center|9
|align=center|2
|align=center|4
|align=center|3
|-
|1982
|''[[One from the Heart]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1983
|''[[Rumble Fish]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|1984
|''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]''
|align=center|2
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1
|align=center|2
|
|-
|1986
|''[[Peggy Sue Got Married]]''
|align=center|3
|
|
|
|align=center|2
|
|-
|1988
| ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]''
|align=center|3
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|-
|1990
|''[[The Godfather Part III]]''
|align=center|7
|
|
|
|align=center|7
|
|-
|1992
| ''[[Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)|Bram Stoker's Dracula]]''
|align=center|4
|align=center|3
|align=center|4
|
|
|
|-
|1997
|''[[The Rainmaker (1997 film)|The Rainmaker]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!align=center|55
!align=center|14
!align=center|31
!align=center|8
!align=center|42
!align=center|10
|}

=== Directed Academy Award performances ===
Under Coppola's direction, these actors have received Academy Award wins and nominations for their performances in their respective roles.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background-color:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background-color:#B0C4DE;" | Performer
! style="background-color:#B0C4DE;" | Film Feature
! style="background-color:#B0C4DE;" | Result
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]
|-
| [[45th Academy Awards|1972]]
| [[Marlon Brando]]
| ''[[The Godfather]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[47th Academy Awards|1974]]
| [[Al Pacino]]
| ''[[The Godfather Part II]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
|-
| [[59th Academy Awards|1986]]
| [[Kathleen Turner]]
| ''[[Peggy Sue Got Married]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1972
| [[James Caan]]
| rowspan="3" | ''The Godfather''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Robert Duvall]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Al Pacino
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1974
| [[Robert De Niro]]
| rowspan="3" | ''The Godfather Part II''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Michael V. Gazzo]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Lee Strasberg]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[52nd Academy Awards|1979]]
| Robert Duvall
| ''[[Apocalypse Now]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[61st Academy Awards|1988]]
| [[Martin Landau]]
| ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[63rd Academy Awards|1990]]
| [[Andy Garcia]]
| ''[[The Godfather Part III]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]]
|-
| [[39th Academy Awards|1966]]
| [[Geraldine Page]]
| ''[[You're a Big Boy Now]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1974
| [[Talia Shire]]
| ''The Godfather Part II''
| {{nom}}
|-
|}

==Bibliography==
* ''Coppola and Eiko on Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1992), co-authored with [[Eiko Ishioka]]
* ''The Godfather Notebook'' (2016)
* ''Live Cinema and Its Techniques'' (2017)

==See also==

* [[Coppola family tree]]
* [[List of wine personalities]]
* [[List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Works cited==
* {{cite book |last=Chown |first=Jeffrey |date=May 1988 |title=Hollywood Auteur: Francis Coppola |url=https://archive.org/details/hollywoodauteurf0000chow |url-access=registration |publisher=Praeger Publishers |isbn=978-0-275-92910-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Cowie |first1=Peter |year=1997 |title=The Godfather Book |publisher=Faber and Faber Limited |location=London |isbn=978-0-571-19011-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Jones |first=Jenny M. |year=2007 |title=The Annotated Godfather: The Complete Screenplay |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=evrkAgAAQBAJ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025085017/https://books.google.com/books?id=evrkAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=October 25, 2015 |url-status=live |location=New York |publisher=Black Dog & Leventhal |isbn=978-1-57912-739-8 |access-date=July 15, 2014}}
* {{cite book |last=Lebo |first=Harlan |year=1997 |title=The Godfather Legacy: The Untold Story of the Making of the Classic Godfather Trilogy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MNi9qYe-ZUsC |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=London, England |isbn=978-0-684-83647-8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605001103/https://books.google.com/books?id=MNi9qYe-ZUsC |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |url-status=live |access-date=September 26, 2016}}
* {{cite book |last1=Lebo |first1=Harlan |year=2005 |title=The Godfather Legacy: The Untold Story of the Making of the Classic Godfather Trilogy Featuring Never-Before-Published Production Stills |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EA1SCEmDyBMC |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=London, England |isbn=978-0-7432-8777-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109125603/https://books.google.com/books?id=EA1SCEmDyBMC&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=November 9, 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=September 26, 2024}}
* {{cite book |last1=Welsh |first1=James M. |last2=Phillips |first2=Gene D. |last3=Hill |first3=Rodney F. |year=2010 |title=The Francis Ford Coppola Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3m5SrXs42YEC |publisher=Scarecrow Press |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-0-8108-7651-4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328133416/https://books.google.com/books?id=3m5SrXs42YEC&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=March 28, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=July 15, 2014}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* {{IMDb name|338}}
*[https://www.afi.com/laa/francis-ford-coppola/# AFI biography]
* [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyxfzuf_AtztMfgFg7_m0U6f8b43R77a 50th AFI Life Achievement Award to Francis Ford Coppola] - [[American Film Institute]], April 26, 2025.

{{Francis Ford Coppola|state=expanded}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppola|Awards for Francis Ford Coppola]]
|list =
{{Academy Award for Best Director}}
{{Academy Award Best Original Screenplay}}
{{Academy Award Best Adapted Screenplay}}
{{AFI Life Achievement Award}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Direction}}
{{Directors Guild of America Award Feature Film}}
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardLifetimeFilm}}
{{Donostia Award}}
{{Lincoln Center Gala Tribute}}
{{Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement Award}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Director}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Screenplay}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score}}
{{Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement}}
{{Golden Orange Honorary Award}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director}}
{{Inkpot Award 1990s}}
{{Thalberg Award}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2020s}}
{{Mary Pickford Award}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Director}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director}}
{{Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Director}}
{{Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay}}
{{Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}
}}
{{Cannes Film Festival jury presidents}}
{{Coppola family}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Coppola, Francis Ford}}
[[Category:Francis Ford Coppola| ]]
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:American horror film directors]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:American viticulturists]]
[[Category:American writers of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Directing Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Director BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Director Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Screenplay Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Coppola family|Francis Ford]]
[[Category:David di Donatello winners]]
[[Category:Directors Guild of America Award winners]]
[[Category:Directors of Best Picture Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Directors of Palme d'Or winners]]
[[Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences]]
[[Category:Filmmakers from the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Film directors from California]]
[[Category:Film directors from Michigan]]
[[Category:Film directors from New York City]]
[[Category:Film producers from California]]
[[Category:Film producers from Michigan]]
[[Category:Film producers from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Golden Globe Award–winning musicians]]
[[Category:Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement recipients]]
[[Category:Golden Orange Honorary Award winners]]
[[Category:Hofstra University alumni]]
[[Category:Inkpot Award winners]]
[[Category:Jamaica High School alumni]]
[[Category:John L. Miller Great Neck North High School alumni]]
[[Category:New York Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Officers of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:People from Rutherford, California]]
[[Category:People from Woodside, Queens]]
[[Category:Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Praemium Imperiale]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from California]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Michigan]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from New York (state)]]
[[Category:UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television alumni]]
[[Category:Writers from Detroit]]
[[Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners]]
[[Category:American recipients of the Legion of Honour]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Francis Ford Coppola|access_date=2026-03-03}}