Diane Keaton Admits She 'Dismissed' The Godfather Part III as 'Not Good'

While the actress wasn't a fan of the 1990 film, she said Francis Ford Coppola's new cut is "brilliant"

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Published on December 2, 2020 11:14AM EST

The Godfather Part III Diane Keaton — Photo: Emilio Lari/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

Thirty years after The Godfather Part III hit theaters, Diane Keaton is revealing that she wasn't a big fan of the film.

In a new interview with Vanity Fair, the actress, who starred as Kay Corleone in the iconic film series, opened up about her initial feelings about Francis Ford Coppola's 1990 film ahead of the director's brand-new cut of the finale.

"When I saw it, I thought, Well, this movie doesn’t work," Keaton recalled. "I had just dismissed it. I thought, 'No, it’s not good.'"

Keaton, who was not alone in her negative reviews about the film, was pleasantly surprised however at Coppola's updated version of the movie, Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.

In September, it was announced that Coppola was working on a new edit and restoration of the final installment in the trilogy, which will be available on-demand on Dec. 8.

"It’s just brilliant what he did, in my opinion," Keaton, 74, said of the new project. "That’s what’s so annoying to me about myself. I saw it and I was so moved and touched. That includes the massive amount of it that’s just the film, not even the changes. That ending is really good."

"But what was really interesting to me as I was watching it is thinking, 'What the f—k were you thinking, Diane, when you saw it the first time? Like, it’s not up to par or something? What?'" she added.

Al Pacino in *The Godfather III*. everette

Keaton told the outlet that she first heard about the remake from Coppola himself.

The famed director, 81, invited her and fellow costars Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Talia Shire, and George Hamilton, to the Paramount lot for a private screening of the finished film.

"I saw it in a totally different light, a completely different point of view," Keaton said.

She added that watching the film also brought back many fond memories about being a part of the legendary series.

"It was a really important moment in my life. I was so thrilled," she shared. "It was also really nice to see those people again, and it meant a lot that Francis did that. It was really kind of him.”

Adding, "It’s like you’re going back in time to an experience in your life that was such a huge experience. I'll never get over it."

Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone will be available on-demand and on Blu-ray on Dec. 8.