Paramount Pictures Sues Estate of ‘Godfather’ Author

Paramount Pictures filed suit against Anthony Ruzzo, the son and executor of author Mario Puzo’s estate. The studio is seeking an injunction to preclude Puzo’s estate from licensing any more literary sequels to The Godfather.

The suit alleges that in 1969 the studio gained a copyright interest in Puzo’s novel, The Godfather, that granted the studio “the sole and exclusive right: to make and cause to be made literary and dramatic and other versions and adaption’s of every kind and character.” According to the studio, this interest paved the way for the 1972 Francis Ford Coppola film and the two movie sequels.

Paramount claims it agreed to allow Puzo’s estate to grant Random House the right to publish only one sequel novel in 2002 but that the estate allowed a second sequel that was published in 2006. Paramount now believes the estate is preparing for a third sequel novel that is scheduled to be released in July.

See Eriq Gardner, Paramount Sues to Stop New ‘Godfather’ Book From Mario Puzo Estate, The Hollywood Reporter, Feb. 21, 2012.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Attorney at law, Florida Probate Attorney Wills and Estates Law Firm) for bringing this article to my attention.