Elle Fanning to play Ali MacGraw in Francis and the Godfather

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather is considered to be one of the greatest films of all-time, and we'll soon get a first-hand look into the making of the classic film with Francis and the Godfather. The upcoming film will be directed by Barry Levinson and will depict the "chaotic, Shakespearean behind-the-scenes drama" that took place during the production, and it's been announced that Elle Fanning has signed on to play Ali MacGraw.

During the shooting of The Godfather, Ali MacGraw was married to Paramount's head of production Robert Evans, but she would later divorce him after falling in love with (and eventually marrying) Steve McQueen on the set of The Getaway. "Elle is one of the most exciting and versatile actresses out there," Barry Levinson said in a statement. "I am beyond thrilled that she has joined the terrific cast of “Francis & The Godfather” and will bring her unique talent to the film." Francis and the Godfather is also set to star Oscar Isaac as Francis Ford Coppola, Jake Gyllenhaal as Robert Evans, and Elisabeth Moss as Eleanor Coppola. Production on the film is expected to kick off this fall.

Francis and the Godfather isn't the only project revolving around the making of The Godfather in the works, as there's also a ten-part series for Paramount+ that will focus on Godfather producer Al Ruddy and will be based on Ruddy's "never before revealed experiences" of making the iconic film. The Offer was slated to star Armie Hammer as Ruddy, but the actor dropped out earlier this year amid a social media scandal and the search is still on for a new actor to star in the series.