20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Godfather
9. The Studio Were Against Marlon Brando's Casting
In the late 1960s, Paramount was on the verge of bankruptcy and were desperate for a mega-hit. Although they believed The Godfather could be the answer to their prayers, they were adamantly against Marlon Brando's involvement. They knew Brando was an astounding actor and could draw a crowd, but were terrified he would jeopardise the production since he was infamous for butting heads with anybody on set.
When Francis Ford Coppola cast him against the producers' wishes, Brando was ordered to perform a screen test, take an insultingly small fee, and put up a million-dollar insurance bond to keep him in check. Although he agreed to the screen test and to be paid very little, the executives were so impressed with his performance, they abandoned the insurance bond.