If and when they ever do make a GF IV, I would like to see them bring Sonny's boy, Santino Jr. and even Frank into the picture. Hey, maybe Santino Jr. wants a stake in the Corleone empire and feels that his half brother Vincent does not warrant being boss!


Don Cardi

That does sound like a good idea!

The interplay between Santino, Jr., Vincent, Anthony Corleone, and Michael (Rizzi) Corleone would form the basis of the GF IV "coda" sequences.

I could see Santino Jr. getting drawn into the family business after suffering reversals in the "straight" world. He would obviously have jealousy/resentment issues toward Vincent, but might also see him as an ally.

Anthony Corleone, although he was antagonistic toward and rejected Michael in GF III, could be so shocked and disturbed by seeing Mary's murder that he might be obsessed with revenge (possibly spurred on by his mother?) - and see joining his father's organization as a way to get that revenge. (And it would also be a key plot line - who would he be trying to get revenge ON?)

And Michael Francis Rizzi Corleone, the baby baptized at the end of GF I, on the day "that all family business was settled," was even mentioned as "getting in trouble with the law" in GF II (in the boathouse scene where Connie asks for permission to marry Merle) - although that has to be a continuity error (he would have only been 5-6 years old at that time) - it's already established that Connie's children have a tendency to get involved in criminal activity.

Connie, I think, would have wanted to wipe away any memory of Carlo, who betrayed her father and set up the murder of the older brother whom she worshipped, so I think she would have dropped his last name Rizzi and officially changed his name to Michael Francis Corleone. And when he got to his 20s and 30s, after already being involved in criminal activities, it would be natural he would get into the family business.

So the conflicts would be already set up:

Vincent - Don Corleone, the anointed heir - at least to start out with, would have the backing of Michael and Connie, who had jointly assented to his takeover - although Vincent would always be suspect to the "legitimate" cousins;

Santino, Jr. - the true heir - who had rejected the family business and now wanted in;

Anthony, the 'pretty boy,' the honors law student/opera singer, who also rejected the family, but now wanted in for solely reasons of revenge (and who could be sure it might not be Vincent or even his own father he blamed for Mary's death?)

and Mikey, the traitor's son, who also would be angling for the support of his mother Connie, who of course also functions as sort of a Senior Consigliera to Michael and Vincent.

The whole thing could get very, very juicy.

We'd have to cast the new cousins (well, they're not NEW, they already exist - just the new characters):

If we're going to stick with Mark Wahlberg as Young Sonny in the 1930s sequences, I'd go with Nick Cage as Santino Jr. in the 1980s/90s sequences:




And as Michael Francis Rizzi Corleone:

Ben Affleck should be the young Sonny.

I suppose Affleck would work, but I think Wahlberg has a little more of the street-punk brawling-thug look that a younger Sonny has to have.

But either one would be way, way, better than Leo DiCaprio (who continually gets rumored for the part) - I think Leo simply does not resemble a younger Jimmy Caan at all, while Affleck and Wahlberg do, somewhat.

Affleck? Hell no! He's one of the worst actors around!

I'd rather see Scott Caan, Jimmy's son in the role. That makes the most sense.

Or Scott Speedman.

I think Scott Caan has too much of the baby-face look - a young Sonny has to look hardened and street tough - and as far as acting credentials are concerned, Ben Affleck looks like Sir Laurence Olivier compared to Scott Caan at this point of his career.

But who knows, suppose Vincent and Grace Madison got married shortly after Mary's death in 1980 and had a son? (a-la Michael and Kay.)

That son would be in his late teens when the coda sequences might well take place (late 1990s/early 2000s.)

So maybe Scott Caan (with darkened hair) could play Sonny's grandson, who might be getting involved in the underworld in 2003-2004???

I think Scott Speedman (Underworld, Felicity) would be a good choice. He is a bit of a pretty boy, but he does resemble Jimmy Caan, and he was mentioned in the USA Today poll back in 1999 when the Part IV rumors began.

Scott Speedman? Never heard of him, but he does have a little resemblence.

I never heard of him neither, but he looks good keep him in mind.

Mmmmmmm GodFather IV Sounds good. I definatly agree that affleck would suck. I also agree that the movie should be about the wanting of the threee of the "heirs" wanting to take control of the empire. Possible all three of them ruling at once like the REAL La Cosa Nostra did. Then having them try to possible get rid of the other two.

Paramount would probably want a no-name for the Sonny role, so that James Caan wouldn't be upstaged. This Scott Speedman fits the bill.

Scott Speedman plays nothing but sweet nice roles, he was in Underworld he was a werewolf and was still a pu$$y. I think Wahlberg aka Marky Mark has the attitude.

That's one idea, but on the other hand they didn't worry about "upstaging" Brando with DeNiro. I think they'd be best off with someone who is already somewhat known.

They could resurrect Marlon Brando, and have him play a cameo role in this film, and it would still be terrible if Ben Affleck had anything to do with the film.

Well Speedman as Sonny could be sweet at first, and then show how he gets his temper and how it takes control of him.

Just because an actor has played a certain way, doesn't mean he can take on another role...

Johnny Depp could pull it off. He doesn't look anything like James Caan, but he's the best actor of this particular generation, IMO. He's terrific in every role he plays. DiCaprio is a great actor, but he's always crying in every movie he's in, and I just can't picture him as a young Santino. Scott Caan is too American-ized to play a Sicilian. I'm a go with Depp.

Remember, this is "young Sonny." Depp is over 40, older than Caan when he played the role in Part 1.

I like the idea of an unknown, Leo was just a mistake IMO. Someone like Speedman has the looks to pull it off, but like someone else said, would have to go considerably against type to do it.

It could work.

Depp is over 40, but he definitely doesn't look it. At over 40 years old, he looks significantly younger than Caan in the first film.

Depp is someone I hadn't thought of before. But I don't think he even remotely resembles Caan from GF I.

Obviously you don't need to have people look exactly alike, but I think it is important that there be somewhat of a resemblance, if it's supposed to be the same character. I mean, you could see DeNiro in GF II, and visualize him as a younger version of Brando.

OTOH, Depp might be a good choice as Michael Francis (Rizzi) Corleone - the Godson of the Godfather, who at some point in GF IV might well make a move to take over the family ... maybe with his own version of the day "that settles all family business.."



Or maybe Robert Downey Jr., if he's staying off the stuff these days...



He does have a pretty good resemblance to a younger Al Pacino. Maybe recast him as Anthony?? (Of course, plenty of nephews resemble their uncles...)


OK, there's Pacino in a still from GF II, when he was about the same age Downey is now. Pretty good resemblance - I think Downey could definitely play Michael (Rizzi) Corleone.

Just a friendly little suggestion, post a pic of the original actor next to the new guy. It helps people like me.