Gangster film Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" was released. The epic story of the Corleone family, its generational transition from post-prohibition to post-war, its fratricidal intrigues, and its tapestry of mid-century America's criminal underworld became a huge critical and commercial success. It accounted for nearly 10% of gross proceeds for all films for the entire year. It won the Oscar for Best Picture, as well as the award for Best Actor for Marlon Brando and is widely considered one of the greatest American films of all time. Two years later, "The Godfather Part II" became the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year and garnered
American Gangster (film) film. It was speculated that the album's release in conjunction with the film would attract a young audience and help Universal Pictures generate profits to recover from the film's troubled development history. According to Jay-Z: "American Gangster" premiered in Harlem at the Apollo Theater on October 20, 2007. Over two weeks before the release of "American Gangster", a screener for the film leaked online. The film debuted in the United States and Canada on November 2, 2007 in 3,054 theaters. In its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, it grossed an estimated $43.6 million, averaging $14,264 per theater,