The Godfather Reunion saw legends on stage at the Radio City Music Hall

Last night, at the Tribeca Film Festival, there was a once-in-a-lifetime panel discussion about The Godfather saga with Academy Award®-winning director Francis Ford Coppola and actors Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, and Robert De Niro. It was to mark the 45th anniversary of the iconic film.

Coppola spoke about how the decision to cast Pacino as Michael Corleone was very tricky. He had met Pacino in San Francisco and became obsessed with casting him in the film. “I just saw his face,” he said. “Once you see someone in the role, it’s very hard to get that out of your head.”

Pacino recalled many screen tests. “It seemed like I was always testing,” Pacino said. “I was still testing after I got the part.”

He also remembered having a breakdown with Keaton after filming one night. “We’re gone. It’s over. This is the worst film ever made,” he remembered saying at the time.

You can watch the panel below.