The legacy of the Godfather trilogy is undeniable. The original is one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. The sequel could be the best sequel of all time. The three-quel… well, not really the best of anything.

A new release of the series has been imminent for quite some time, with news of a restoration currently in the works. When the trilogy first debuted on DVD, the end result was ultimately disappointing. Sure, upgrading from VHS was better than nothing but still, the amount of deterioration on the negatives was much worse than anyone had imagined.

This morning, Paramount made a huge announcement regarding the restoration of the films. Not only do we have a street date of September 23, 2008, but a Blu-Ray release ($119.99) will debut alongside standard definition ($72.99). Read on to see the official press release.

DIRECTOR FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’S EPIC TRILOGY DEBUTS ON DVD AND BLU-RAY IN ALL NEWLY-REMASTERED VERSIONS

Cinematic Classics Return to their Original Pristine Glory with All-New Special Features: Must-Own Collections Arrive September 23, 2008

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – More than three decades after they won the Academy Award® for Best Picture, director Francis Ford Coppola’s classic films The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II will once again be enjoyed by audiences as they originally were meant to be seen, thanks to a meticulous restoration by Paramount Pictures, overseen by Coppola himself. On September 23, 2008, both fully restored films will debut on DVD and Blu-ray, along with a newly remastered version of The Godfather Part III, to be included as part of The Godfather, The Coppola Restoration Collection. All three films will be available individually or in a five-DVD collection or four-disc Blu-ray collection, which are loaded with a host of all-new special features.

The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II underwent extensive frame-by-frame examination and restoration utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology in this historic preservation effort, which required more than a year to complete. Robert A. Harris of the Film Preserve supervised the restoration under the direction of Coppola and cinematographer, Gordon Willis. Harris’ restoration credits include Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus, Vertigo and Rear Window among others.

The new special features created by Kim Aubry, founder of Zoetrope Aubry Productions, explores the complexities of the restoration process and provides new insights and perspectives about how the film almost didn’t come to pass as we know it. “The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t” relates the unlikely events, intrigue, allegiances and luck that put together the unknown director with the “unwanted” cast and contains interviews with most of the living players and many of the films’ admirers. Other featurettes include “…when the shooting stopped,” and “Godfather World,” which take a look at The Godfather’s influence on popular culture today. Each film includes a commentary by Coppola.

THE GODFATHER: The Coppola Restoration DVD Collection

The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration DVD Collection, enhanced for 16:9 TVs, with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and English Mono (The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II) and English, French and Spanish subtitles.

The DVD disc breakdown is as follows:

Disc 1:

œ* The Godfather feature film

œ* Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 2:

œ* The Godfather, Part II feature film

œ* Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 3:

œ* The Godfather, Part III feature film

œ* Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 4: (previously released special features)

œ - Making of The Godfather

œ - Additional Scenes

œ - Filming Locations

œ - The Corleone Family Tree

œ - The Music of The Godfather

œ - The Godfather Historical Timeline

œ - Profiles on the Filmmakers

œ - Photo Galleries and Storyboards

Disc 5: (new special features)

œ* Godfather World

œ* The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t

œ* …when the shooting stopped

œ* Emulsional Rescue Revealing The Godfather

œ* The Godfather on the Red Carpet

œ* Four Short Films on The Godfather

o The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II

o Cannoli

o Riffing on the Riffing

o Clemenza

THE GODFATHER: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray Collection

THE GODFATHER: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray four-disc set is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Mono (except The Godfather: Part III) and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The following special features are presented in high definition as noted:

Disc 1:

*œ The Godfather feature film

œ* Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 2:

œ* The Godfather, Part II feature film

œ* Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 3:

œ* The Godfather, Part III feature film

œ* Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 4:

œ* Godfather World (HD)

œ* The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t (HD)

œ* …when the shooting stopped (HD)

œ* Emulsional Rescue—Revealing The Godfather (HD)

œ* The Godfather on the Red Carpet (HD)

œ* Four Short Films on The Godfather

o The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II (HD)

o Cannoli (HD)

o Riffing on the Riffing (HD)

o Clemenza (HD)

œ* The Family Tree

œ* Crime Organization Chart

œ* Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album

2001 DVD Archive:

œ* Behind the Scenes

o The Godfather Family: A Look Inside

o On Location

o Francis Coppola’s Notebook

o The Music of the Godfather

o Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting

o Gordon Willis on Cinematography

o Storyboards from The Godfather, Part II

o Storyboards from The Godfather, Part III

o The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971

Disc 4 (cont’d):

œ* The Filmmakers

o Francis Ford Coppola

o Mario Puzo

o Gordon Willis

o Dean Tavoularis

o Nino Rota

o Carmine Coppola

œ* Additional Scenes

œ* Acclaim & Response

œ* Trailers (HD)

œ* Photo Gallery

œ* Rogues’ Gallery