'The Godfather' Making-Of Movie Casts Oscar Isaac As Francis Ford Coppola, Jake Gyllenhaal As Robert Evans

Barry Levinson is making a movie about the making of The Godfather, and it's already shaping up to have quite a cast. Oscar Isaac is set to play Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, while Jake Gyllenhaal will play legendary producer Rober Evans. While The Godfather is considered today to be one of the greatest movies of all time, the making of the film was not without roadblocks. There was significant push-back against Coppola directing the film, as there was against several of Coppola's casting choices. But of course, as we know now, it all worked out in the end.

Deadline has the scoop on The Godfather making of movie casting. The film is based on a Black List script by Andrew Farotte that Levinson rewrote, and will chronicle the turbulent behind-the-scenes drama in the making of the movie classic. Francis Ford Coppola was only 31 at the time, and he had to fight to get the movie made the way he wanted it, often clashing with producer Robert Evans in the process. Paramount hoped to have the film in a contemporary setting whereas Coppola wanted to remain true to the era of the book, the 1940s. Coppola also had to fight for his casting decisions – Marlon Brando was considered box office poison at the time, and Al Pacino was still a young and up-and-coming actor. In the end, Coppola got his way and delivered a movie classic. "Out of the madness of production, and against all odds, a classic film happened," director Barry Levinson said. THR adds that the film is called Francis and the Godfather.

Released in 1972, The Godfather ended up being the highest-grossing film of 1972, and was for a while was also the highest-grossing film ever made. It was nominated for a slew of Oscars, and took home Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Mario Puzo and Coppola).

While I think it's going to be a bit hard to recreate these events, I'm all-in on this casting. Both Isaac and Gyllenhaal are great, and Gyllenhaal in particular is bound to have a great time sinking his teeth into the role of Robert Evans, a larger-than-life producer with more than a few skeletons in his closet. All that said, there's a part of me that thinks Isaac would be better playing Pacino – he basically played a young Pacino in A Most Violent Year. But I guess he's too old for the part at the moment (although he's also technically too old at 41 to play the 30-something Coppola, just saying).

For what it's worth, the real Coppola has given his blessing to the project, saying: "Any movie that Barry Levinson makes about anything, will be interesting and worthwhile!"

Interestingly enough, this isn't the only film in the works about the golden days of Paramount. There's also The Big Goodbye, about the making of Chinatown. That film will also feature Robert Evans as a character, and maybe they should just let Jake Gyllenhaal play him there, too. Why not?