Quote: "It's a pity, because George Lucas was a very experimental crazy guy and he got lost in this big production and never got out of it. I still hope that he made so much money out of it that he will just make some little movies. He promises me that he will." Movie maverick Francis Ford Coppola is still hoping Star Wars creator George Lucas returns to his indie filmmaking roots. Coppola produced Lucas' first blockbuster, American Graffiti.
Quote: "If Francis Ford Coppola says he wants to do anything with The Godfather, I will be there." Actor Al Pacino would return to THE GODFATHER franchise if director FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA came up with a new story, even though his mob boss character Michael Corleone dies at the end of the third instalment of the classic mafia films.
Quote: "It's a beautiful country and the people are extraordinary. They have such a wonderful literary tradition, one of warmth and humour. Also, Irish ice cream is among the best in the world, which no one knows." Moviemaker Francis Ford Coppola is a big fan of Ireland.
Quote: "I didn't want my name to be an issue. If I had it to do over again, I might not have changed it. But I believe in going with your heart, and that's what I felt at the time." Actor Nicolas Cage, who is the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, on his decision to change his last name when he first started out in the movie business.
Fact: Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola is returning to Comic-Con on 23 July (11) - marking his first appearance at the annual convention since 1991. He will debut portions of his upcoming movie Twixt.
Quote: "I don't think GODFATHER ever should have had more than one movie. It was not a serial. To make more than one was just greed. I mean, how would you spin off Hamlet?" Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola thinks he went overboard with the crime film trilogy.
Quote: "I had been so conditioned to think the film was bad - too long, too dark, too boring - I didn't think it would have any success." Director Francis Ford Coppola is baffled his 1972 mafia film The Godfather became a classic.
Quote: "It's like three kids with the enthusiasm of how wonderful and magical cinema is; how you can never learn enough and how every time you make a film you learn more. I am struck with the childlike enthusiasm we all have when we discuss the possibilities of what can be done with film." The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola on his dinner dates with George Lucas and STEVEN SPIELBERG.
Quote: "People think that if you're a well-known filmmaker you can make any film you want. But nobody can do that except maybe Steven Spielberg." The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola still has difficulties getting his dream projects funded.
Quote: "Pacino is very rich, maybe because he never spends any money - he just puts it in his mattress." GODFATHER director Francis Ford Coppola on Al Pacino's investment strategies.
Quote: "I absolutely did not imagine there'd be three, I didn't want there to be three. When I was done with the first GODFATHER I wanted to put as much distance between me and gangsters as I could." Moviemaker Francis Ford Coppola on his The Godfather trilogy.
Fact: Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola's first film in 10 years, YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH, will premiere at the second RomeFilmFest in Italy in October (07).
Fact: Movie moguls Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas will team up to hand out the Best Director prize at Sunday's (25FEB07) Oscars.
Fact: France's Montpellier Opera will honour film-maker Francis Ford Coppola on a specially designated day sharing the director's name. On 19 July (07) the opera house will stage orchestral renditions of popular musical favourites from The Godfather and Apocalypse Now.
Quote: <p>"I'll be lucky enough to have three jobs in my life that were earmarks for me. And that was TERRY MALICK's BADLANDS, Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now and Aaron Sorkin and JOHN WELLS' THE WEST WING." Martin Sheen is delighted by his back catalogue. </p>
Quote: <p>"I think, in a sense, it killed the career that he wanted. I think he envisioned more like a Woody Allen career. He wanted to do his own film and The Godfather got in the way." James Caan insists his pal and The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola's career was ruined by his 1972 gangster epic. </p>