After ditching his job at the Rand Corporation for a shot in Hollywood, Al Ruddy wins the job to produce Mario Puzo’s bestselling novel, “The Godfather” for Paramount Pictures. Joe Colombo, a rising crime boss in the New York City Mafia, has a darker fate in mind for the picture.

With Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo penning the script, Al Ruddy and Bettye McCartt confront an ever-growing list of opposition to “The Godfather” including Frank Sinatra, LA Gangster Mickey Cohen, and the Colombo led Italian-American Civil Rights League. Meanwhile, Robert Evans and Gulf & Western’s Barry Lapidus lock horns over the creative direction of Paramount Pictures.

Pressure mounts for the scripts’ delivery after Ruddy is forced to sit down with Joe Colombo and Evans finds himself navigating hot waters with Gulf & Western’s CEO Charlie Bluhdorn. Meanwhile, Bluhdorn takes an interest in Bettye.