While The Godfather Part II proved itself to be just as critically successful as its predecessor, it surprisingly didn’t do as well at the box office. Inspired by the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo, The Godfather trilogy depicted the lives of the Corleone mafia family and their involvement in organized crime across the world. The first installment, The Godfather, looks at the family’s patriarch, Vito Corleone, and his complicated life with his family and criminal activities. The two sequels explore Michael Corleone’s rise to power and attempts to protect his family from his crimes.

Since the movies’ release, The Godfather franchise has been ranked as one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time, with the first two movies being listed as some of the most successful movies ever made. The Godfather’s cast includes Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro, who have all received Oscar nominations for their performances as members of the Corleone family. The Godfather Part II was seen as a significant improvement over the first movie, but surprisingly, the sequel didn’t fare as well financially at the box office upon its initial release.

The Godfather Grossed $270 Million (But Part II Only Made $57 Million)

The Godfather Part II Was Released Two Years After The Godfather

Released in theaters in March 1972, The Godfather garnered universal acclaim, receiving high praise from critics for its depiction of mafia criminal activity, screenplay, directing, and performances. The Godfather won three Academy Awards in 1973, including Best Picture, and the role of Vito Corleone is considered one of the best movies of Marlon Brando’s career. After a slow start, grossing around $302,000 on its opening weekend, the movie eventually grossed over $100 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). The Godfather eventually earned $270 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film of 1972 (via Ultimate Movie Rankings).

The Godfather’s success resulted in the release of The Godfather Part II two years later, focusing on Michael Corleone stepping up as Don of the family and exploring Vito Corleone’s early life and his eventual rise as a crime boss in New York. The Godfather Part II was considered by critics to be as thrilling as the first movie; it won 6 Oscars in 1975 and became the first sequel to win an Oscar for Best Picture. While critically successful, The Godfather Part II only grossed $57 million at the box office, only one-fifth of The Godfather’s box office results (via The Numbers).

Why The Godfather Part II Did Significantly Less Than The Godfather

The Godfather Part II Made One-Fifth Of The Godfather’s Box Office Results

One notable reason why Part II’s box office results were lower was due to the financial pressure placed on the sequel to be as successful as the original. The Godfather set the record as the highest-grossing movie of all time until 1976, which made it difficult for Part II to replicate the original’s financial success. The sequel was also impacted by Marlon Brando’s absence as Vito Corleone. While it was initially planned for Brando to cameo in The Godfather Part II, his difficult relationship with Paramount resulted in him not appearing for filming and the scene being rewritten.

Up until 1974, it was very rare for sequel movies to use numbers in their тιтles; as the first movie to use “2” in its тιтle released in 1957 received a poor critical response, there was the initial belief that The Godfather Part II would also not perform well with critics. Given the fact that the 1972 movie had utilized the novel, there was uncertainty as to how Part II could offer something new to the Corleones’ story. Part II also had to compete with other gangster movies released in the 1970s, which further impacted its financial results.

The Godfather Part III Also Did Less Than Its Predecessor

The Godfather Part III Grossed $66 Million At The Box Office

The final installment in the franchise, The Godfather Part III, was released in 1990, 16 years after the release of Part II. The Godfather Part III explored Michael Corleone’s attempt to shield his children from his criminal life and find an heir to his empire. The Godfather Part III grossed $66 million at the box office, also significantly lower than the first movie. While it received a positive reception from critics and received seven Oscar nominations in 1991, many felt that The Godfather Part III failed to live up to the previous two movies’ success.

Many consider The Godfather Part III to be the weakest installment of the franchise due to its rushed script, uncomfortable subplots, and miscasting. Part III proved more successful at the box office than Part II, but many critics and viewers felt it was an unnecessary extension of the franchise. Director Francis Ford Coppola also admitted that he considered the Corleones’ story complete after the first two movies and only directed the third movie for financial reasons (via The New York Times). The Godfather Part II proved the better sequel critically but could never financially achieve the same success as the original.

Sources: Box Office Mojo, Ultimate Movie Rankings, The Numbers, The New York Times