The Godfather Movie Franchise is an American film series that is made up of three crime play films directed by Francis Ford Coppola inspired by the book of the same name by Italian-American author Mario Puzo. The pictures follow the trials of this Italian mafia Corleone family whose patriarch, Vito Corleone, rises to be a big place in American organized crime. His youngest son, Michael Corleone, becomes his successor. Paramount Pictures distributed the films and released in 1972, 1974 and 1990. The show achieved success at the box office, with the films earning over $550 million worldwide. The Godfather is seen by many among the best films of all time, while the Godfather Part II is viewed by many as the best movie in movie history. The series is significantly awarded, winning 9 out of 29 total Academy Award nominations.