Paramount Pictures, which has produced all three 'Godfather' feature films, has apparently been looking for a while to get #4 off the ground. The word around the water cooler is that they were waiting for publisher Random House to have a crack at the novel first, even though the second and third stories were created simultaneously by author Mario Puzo and director Francis Ford Coppola.

The novel is now out, but reviews are mixed at best. No word has been word from the studio on their intentions towards it, and novelist Mark Winegardener won't wait for them to contact him.
Speaking to his hometown newspaper Tallahassee Democrat, the writer compared being chosen to continue the Corleone legacy to winning the lottery, but his love and commitment are to literature.

"Movies are such a collaborative process," he said. "If you're a screenwriter, it's like being a plumber. I'd rather remain a novelist, where you're in control of everything. You're the director; you're the actors; you're God. Who wants to relinquish the role of God?"

His take on the story might not be what Paramount is looking for, anyway. Not so much for the quality but because it isn't exactly a sequel. More of a 'Fill In The Blanks' novel. His story kicks off at the end of the original chapter, when Michael eliminates the heads of all the five families. The story will address the children of elder son Sonny, as well a everything that went on while the Corleone were establishing themselves in Vegas.

As for a fifth novel, Winegardener only waits the signal. The man revealed he gathered enough material to continue the story just before #3.
"Oh, there's a lot more there. The character of Tom Hagen fascinates me. I have to wait and see how this book does."