The real-life reason Robert DuVall declinedThe Godfather Part III, however, isn’t quite as straightforward.
Indeed,The Godfather Part III’s director had a meaty role planned for DuVallhad he agreed to partake.
Unfortunately, money got in the way.
Harrison had very little characterizationand no personal arc to speak of.
He was simply there, providing exposition and serving the larger narrative.
The loss of Robert DuVall as Tom Hagen was one of the biggest reasons behind that fall from grace.
Custom image by Ana Nieves
Hagen was never the focal point ofThe Godfather, but he provided balance between the other main characters.
Tom Hagen became something of a grounded, relatable figure in a sea of larger-than-life criminals.
That’s less true forThe Godfather Part III, largely because Tom Hagen isn’t in it.
The Godfather Part III is the third and final film in Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy. The film again focuses on Michael Corleone, who is now in his 60s and looking for his replacement as the head of the family business. While still getting favorable reviews upon release, the film is often considered a significant drop in quality compared to its predecessors.
Beyond those three, the remaining cast is fleshed out by newcomers.
2020’s The Godfather Coda has been reconstructed to be more elegiac than The Godfather III.
Here’s every change in Coppola’s new cut.
It’s just a shame that Robert DuVall’s paycheck wasn’t.
