Director Francis Ford Coppola has been given another chance to conclude the Godfather trilogy with a new edit and restoration of the third film, now titled The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. According to Diane Keaton, the new version of The Godfather Part 3 fixes certain issues with the original film, including Sofia Coppola's performance as Mary Corleone.

Centered on an aging Michael Corleone as he tries to reconcile with his family and atone for his past crimes, The Godfather Part 3 received far less acclaim than its two predecessors upon its release in 1990. Criticisms directed towards the film by critics largely focused on the convoluted storyline and the panned performance of Sofia Coppola, who had been cast in the role of Mary Corleone after Winona Ryder dropped out shortly before production began.

RELATED: The Godfather 3 Gets a Do-Over in The Death of Michael Corleone Trailer

While Francis Ford Coppola has promised a new beginning and ending to the Godfather Part 3 with The Death of Michael Corleone, there has been some question as to just how much a film can truly be changed with some re-editing thirty years after its initial release. During an interview with Variety, Diane Keaton, who portrayed Kay Adams-Corleone in all three chapters of the crime saga, assured audiences that the new cut will reframe the film.  "It was one of the best moments of my life to watch it," Keaton said of her reaction to seeing the new version at a private screening with co-stars on the Paramount lot. "To me, it was a dream come true. I saw the movie in a completely different light. When I saw it way back, it was like 'Oh, I don't know.' It didn't seem to do that well and the reviews weren't great. But Francis restructured the beginning and the end and man, I'm telling you it worked."

Keaton also predicted critics and audiences will reassess Sofia Coppola's performance upon watching The Death of Michael Corleone after decades of her acting being singled out as one of the worst aspects of the film by many. "That's not going to happen anymore," Keaton said. "She's what a daughter would be like if you had this guy as your dad, the head of a criminal organization. She was not so sure of herself and is kind of quiet. Kind of haunted. I thought she was fantastic."

Of course, Sofia Coppola has earned success and acclaim as a writer and director since The Godfather debuted in theaters. In fact, she won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Lost in Translation and became only the third woman at the time to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for helming the comedy-drama.

Paramount appears to believe The Godfather is a valuable IP as the studio producing a television series based on the making of the original film titled The Offer. Intended for the Paramount+ streaming service, the 10-episode limited series focuses on Al Ruddy's experience producing The Godfather.

The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is scheduled to receive a limited theatrical release on December 4 before being available on VOD starting December 8.

MORE: Wait - Is The Godfather 3 Really That Bad?

Source: Variety