Claim: The Godfather Part III is an artistic work.

The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American crime film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola , and directed by Coppola . A sequel to The Godfather -LRB- 1972 -RRB- and The Godfather Part II -LRB- 1974 -RRB- , it completes the story of Michael Corleone , a Mafia kingpin who attempts to legitimize his criminal empire . The film also includes fictionalized accounts of two real-life events : the 1978 death of Pope John Paul I and the Papal banking scandal of 1981 -- 82 , both linked to Michael Corleone 's business affairs . The film stars Al Pacino , Diane Keaton , Talia Shire , and Andy García , and features Eli Wallach , Joe Mantegna , George Hamilton , Bridget Fonda , and Sofia Coppola .   Coppola and Puzo preferred the title , The Death of Michael Corleone , but Paramount Pictures found that unacceptable . Coppola subsequently stated that The Godfather series is two films and that Part III is the epilogue . Part III received mixed reviews compared to the critical acclaim that the first two films received . It grossed $ 136,766,062 and was nominated for seven Academy Awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture .