If you’re an HBO or HBO Now subscriber (or if you’ve somehow managed to obtain a password) you currently have access to an interesting cinematic beast: a 424-minute cut of Francis Ford Coppola’s first two Godfather films, recut in chronological order and bolstered with a number of scenes cut from the theatrical releases in 1972 and 1974.

The Godfather Epic, as it’s being called, begins with the story of a young Vito Corleone (played by 10-year-old Oreste Baldini, and later a 30-year-old Robert DeNiro) as he transforms himself from destitute immigrant to powerful mafioso. (You might recognize this section as the flashback scenes that were interspersed throughout The Godfather: Part II.) The action then leaps forward to 1945, as a 49-year-old Marlon Brando takes over the role. Aside from some newly re-inserted scenes here and there, this is pretty much the entirety of the original Godfather film from start to finish. This section ends with Michael, the youngest Corleone son (Al Pacino), taking the reins of the business after his father’s death, and the rest of the narrative follows Michael’s storyline from the late ’50s section of Part II. (No footage from 1990’s Part III is included, for obvious reasons.)

Older fans might remember a similar cut—marketed alternately as The Godfather Saga or The Godfather: The Complete Novel For Television—that aired as a miniseries on NBC back in 1977 and was later released on VHS.

The Godfather Epic began streaming on HBO Go and HBO Now shortly after it aired on HBO proper this past Sunday night.

Im baaaaack!!! Very few of you have remained and I will try find out how many members are in. This website was lost in my mind for years and today I managed to return from the dead.

Im baaaaack!!!

I'm guessing that this is the "Saga" version that has been shown many times on cable over the years. It is the definitive version of GF and II, put together in chronological order--and, very importantly--with about 45 minutes of peerless deleted scenes included in the right places. Though I have all the versions of GF and II (including the Saga), I'm recording this HBO version because it's in hi-def, and (I'm hoping) they may have unearthed deleted scenes that haven't been shown, though I doubt it.

Welcome back! It's been almost ten years.

i wonder if it will make it to blu-ray and dvd.

I hope it does and I think it's likely to happen eventually. It's the ultimate experience after one has seen the original films. It will probably be exclusively on HBO for the time being.

I wish they would put The Godfather epic on Blu-ray. I love that version with it in chronological order and all of the deleted scenes included. My favorite way to watch the series.

Yes it's great. It's the only way I want to watch the franchise now, since I've seen the theatrical versions so many times. I've got my dvr set to grab it if hbo ever airs it again. Its nowhere to be found on the firestick apps either....so I hear.