The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and partially based on Mario Puzo's 1969 novel, The Godfather. The screenplay was once again written by Coppola and Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Marianna Hill, Michael V. Gazzo and Lee Strasberg. The film is in part, both a sequel and a prequel to 1972 The Godfather film, presenting two parallel dramas. The main storyline, following the events of the first film, centers on Michael Corleone (Pacino), the new Don of the Corleone crime family, trying to hold his business ventures together from 1958 to 1959; the other is a series of flashbacks following his father, Vito Corleone (De Niro), from his childhood in Sicily in 1901 to his founding of the Corleone family in New York City. The Godfather Part II was released in 1974, and went on to receive tremendous critical acclaim, with some even deeming it superior to its predecessor. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won six, including Best Picture.