Director Francis Ford Coppola agreed to re-edit The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974) into one, in order to raise money for his beleaguered production Apocalypse Now (1979).
This re-edited version includes scenes deleted from The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), including one showing Jack Woltz acting questionably with a child star, and Vito and Michael discussing Michael's future career.
It originally aired on NBC over four consecutive nights (one three-hour segment and three two-hour segments) in November 1977.
This was the first time that The Godfather Part II (1974) was shown on television. The Godfather (1972) was shown on NBC in 1974.
The miniseries cast includes seven Oscar winners: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Carmine Coppola, and Sofia Coppola; and eight Oscar nominees: James Caan, Talia Shire, Michael V. Gazzo, Richard S. Castellano, Lee Strasberg, John Marley, Danny Aiello, and Roman Coppola.