Francis Ford Coppola is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He's considered one of the most influential and innovative filmmakers of the 20th century, often credited with ushering in a new era for Hollywood in which the director became the principal creative force of a film.
> B-movie king Roger Corman mentored many of the star directors of 1970s Hollywood, including Coppola. (Watch)
> The "Movie Brats"—the nickname given to directors like Coppola, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and others—redefined Hollywood as a place for the counterculture. (Read)
His 1972 film "The Godfather" was a major commercial and critical success despite its unorthodox approaches and established the young filmmaker as a visionary. 1979's "Apocalypse Now" reimagined Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" as a Vietnam War story and was praised as a masterpiece, though its production was marred by problems: Coppola went millions of dollars over budget, manipulated actors, and threatened suicide.
> Coppola was far from Paramount Pictures' first choice for director of "The Godfather." (Read)
> The production behind "Apocalypse Now" was one of the most notorious in film history, something Eleanor Coppola captured in a critically acclaimed documentary. (Watch)
> "Star Wars" sequel "The Empire Strikes Back" was influenced by "Apocalypse Now," a movie George Lucas was originally supposed to direct. (Read)
Coppola has been awarded six Oscars and is one of just nine directors to win two Palme d'Or prizes, the top honor at the Cannes Film Festival. One of those was for "Apocalypse Now."
> The Coppola family tree has many branches in Hollywood, including actors Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman. (Read)
> Throughout the '80s and '90s, the director took on several low-quality films in order to pay off debt from a 1981 movie musical. (Read)
Discover more:
> Watch Coppola's debut feature film, the low-budget horror movie "Dementia 13." (Watch)
> Coppola began working on "The Godfather" to bail his production company out of dire financial straits. (Watch)
> He spent years trying to adapt Jack Kerouac's Beat Generation novel "On the Road" but ultimately handed it off to another filmmaker. (Read)
