Director Francis facts

While investigating facts about Director Francis, I found out little known, but curios details like:

Francis Ford Coppola, director of the Godfather movies, had his computer stolen in 2007. 15 years of his work was lost. He had a backup, but it was on a hard drive right next to his computer. Thieves took the backup too.

Apocalypse Now (1979) director Francis Ford Coppola came up with the title to make fun of hippies, because of a popular button badge that said "Nirvana Now", during the 60s

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 21 of the best facts about Director Francis I managed to collect.

1. In 1974 Francis Ford Coppola received two Oscar nominations for Best Director. The films were The Conversation and The Godfather Part II. He won the award for The Godfather Part II.

2. Nicholas Cage changed his name from “Nicholas Coppola” after working on his first movie, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, because his coworkers resented him for being related to renowned director Francis Ford Coppola.

3. Author Mario Puzo and director Francis Ford Coppola wanted Marlon Brando to play Vito Corleone for The Godfather, but Paramount wanted Ernest Borgnine. Brando got the role by sticking cotton balls in his mouth, putting shoe polish in his hair, and rolling his collar in his audition tape.

4. Talia Shire, the actress who portrayed Adrian in the Rocky movies, is not only the sister of Francis Ford Coppola (director of The Godfather movies), but she's also the mother of Jason Schwartzman, and Nicolas Cage's aunt.

5. Winona Ryder was supposed to play the character of Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III. Because she fell ill, she was replaced by Sofia Coppola, daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola. The role was also set for Rebecca Schaeffer, but she was killed by a deranged fan before filming began

6. Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola suggested to George Lucas that he should turn the Jedi philosophy into a fully-fledged religious movement.

7. Nicolas Cage is the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, and that his birth name was Nicolas Kim Coppola. To avoid the appearance of nepotism, he changed his last name, as a tribute to the Marvel Comics character Luke Cage.

8. In 1979, director Francis Ford Coppola, in the grip of clinical manic depression and anxiety over his incomplete opus Apocalypse Now, proposed making a "ten-hour film version of Goethe's Elective Affinities, in 3D".

9. Francis Ford Coppola took the director's job for the Godfather on the advice of George Lucas partly because he was in debt to Warner Bros for $400K for producing Lucas' THX 1183 - Godfather connection to Star Wars

10. Nicolas Cage’s birth name is Nicolas Kim Coppola, and he is a nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola.

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In 1976 legendary directors Francis Ford Coppola and Akira Kurosawa collaborated to make Suntory Whiskey commercials in Japan.

Nicolas Cage took his stage name from Marvel Comics superhero Luke Cage, changing it from Coppola to avoid perceived nepotism due to his famous uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola. - source

Dr. Francis Collins, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, wrote a book arguing that science is not in conflict with biblical faith but actually enhances faith - source

Marlon Brando agreed to return as Vito Corleone for the birthday flashback sequence in Godfather II but, feeling mistreated by the board at Paramount, failed to show up for the single day's shooting. The director Francis Ford Coppola then had to rewrite the scene that same day.

The son of acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Coppola, is an Oscar nominated screenwriter (Moonrise Kingdom) and is cousins with Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwatzman - source

Nicholas Cage received his big break in Hollywood when he appeared in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986). He was given the role by his uncle, the director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola.

Nicolas Cage was actually born Nicolas Coppola, and is the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola. He changed his name early in his career to avoid the appearance of nepotism.

Nicolas Cage's real name is Nicolas Coppola, and is part of a famous family of actors. His uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, was the director of the Godfather trilogy, and his cousin, Sofia Coppola, has written and directed several films.

Francis Ford Coppola's mentor and teacher as a director was Dorothy Arzner