WI: Martin Scorsese directs The Godfather Part II

Originally, Francis Ford Coppola did not want to direct The Godfather Part II and wanted Martin Scorsese to direct the film, but the studio executives said no, and Coppola ended up directing the film instead. What if the studio had let Scorsese direct the film? How different would the film have turned out? How would the movie be received compared to OTL? What impact would this have on Scorsese's career, as well as Coppola's?
 
Originally, Francis Ford Coppola did not want to direct The Godfather Part II and wanted Martin Scorsese to direct the film, but the studio executives said no, and Coppola ended up directing the film instead. What if the studio had let Scorsese direct the film? How different would the film have turned out? How would the movie be received compared to OTL? What impact would this have on Scorsese's career, as well as Coppola's?

Scorsese probably adds more violence and religious imagery into the film, which may turn out quite differently overall depending on his control over the script.

IMO, as much as I love Scorsese's movies I don't think he would've been the right choice for Godfather 2. Scorsese specializes in gritty character studies with strong psychological/moral themes and that's very different from the Shakespearean approach taken by Coppola. Coppola was essential for Godfather 2 because his direction maintained tonal continuity with Part I, creating an American epic that expanded on the story of its predecessor. If Scorsese makes a Part II that's widely considered inferior to Part I, that may ironically harm his career and prevent him from making the classics that we know him for today.
 
Top