Hi,
I have put some thought into this subject. I wonder if the studio would cast him as Vito again since he was in GF2. DeNiro is older and could play an older version of Vito in flashbacks possibly. Any thoughts on the subject?

Paul

I don´t know, he dousen´t really look like Brando, but after his good performance in Part II I think it´s quite possible that´s he´s gonna be in IV, IF it will ever be made.

I don't know whether I should say with every single opinion of mine about GF4 that I'm 99,99% sure it won't happen, but for the sake of it...

as much as I like Robert DeNiro as being one of the best and one of my favorite actors, his record for the last (let's say..) 5 years isn't to overwhelming.

For every Meet the Parents there's a Flawless, for every Ronin a 15 Minutes, for every Analyze This a Showtime and for every Heat a City by the sea. DeNiro starred in too many mediocre commercial pictures. It seems that if he's not directed by a Hollywood finochio like Coppola or Scorsese, he can't lift the movie any higher than it would without him. I'm not saying his acting is bad, not even his judgement on which parts to accept, but it's a fact that the last couple of years DeNiro has not been in a lot of 'good' movies, and not in a lot of profitable ones either.

GF4 is very unlikely to happen, but if it does, a entirely new script (at best an adaptation of Puzo's unfinished one) will be used by a new director (let it be David Chase, Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg, see if I care, it's not the real Godfather) and I'll bet any of the other influential crew members (cinematographer, production designer, costume designer, editor, producer, etc.etc.etc) of the original trilogy won't be returning either. that's a disaster waiting to happen.

in addition to DeNiro's choice of being in other disasters or mediocre movies the last couple of years, I don't think GF4 would be any better if he should decide to do it.

heck, I did not even begin about the fact he is way too old to look any good as a 1930's Vito. They have to go Anthony Hopkins on his ass big time to make it look well.

on the other hand, instead of being pessimistic, you can be optimistic by saying: if DeNiro joins the GF4 project it might turn out to be good after all....

we'll see

I agree with Pherdy regarding De Niro's age. I remember in an old thread there was a message i posted and i mentioned that it would be kinda impossible to have De Niro playing Vito from those missing years (1927-1945). He's almost 60 years old. Brando was 47 when he played the old Vito. So don't you think he's a little bit too old to play that role? I honestly think he wouldn't go for it. But i don't mind if there's a GF4, as long as it covers the missing years. If FFC wanted to work on it, he has enough material from the novel, and he can also rely on half of the script that Mario Puzo wrote for GF4. Remember, Mario Puzo supported the idea of making another GF. He wanted to base it on the happy years. So maybe they should do something about it.

Puzo did already write a good portion of GF4 script and in the DVD Bonus, he says that Paramount and DeNiro have copies. Because he also said it would include the 30s, I assume that he thought DeNiro can play Vito during the 30s. I am sure a good makeup job can do the trick. The problem, of course, is that DeNiro would be approaching the age of Brando's Vito, which is the most memorable character of all time!

I really think De Niro should Direct, he did a good job with A Bronx Tale

I think that DeNiero should be in GDIV as an older version of vincent corleone.

Michael hasn't achieved hero status like Vito had. This is the part of Vito's life we do not see. The rise of Vito between killing Fanucci and then Don Ciccio, and his rise to the level of power that 'The Godfather' takes him. Micheal has'nt lost his soul in part II, but he is afraid he might "lose his family" (conversation with his Mother). Godfather III only fails in the sense that Vito failed to integrate his power with everyone else. In the GF we come in as a witness to the price of power, crime power, patriarchal power that Micheal can only reclaim in a GF IV. GF I, II, III all end calling for a sequel, so many unresolved conflicts. It blows me away that people can't see the need for closure within the series. Robert DeNiro could get another excellent role in Part IV playing Vito as he builds from a neighbourhood boss to an international boss, running molasses into Canada with Roth etc... He could play some more of this 30's storyline integrated into flashbacks in my GF IV script http://www.thegodfathertrilogy.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000090