Interestingly, De Niro was cast for a role in the first part of the franchise, which he had refused then.
The dedicated actor even spent a few months living in the village, trying to adapt himself to its surroundings. According to IMDB, the Oscar-winning star spent four months learning the Sicilian dialect. Here is an interesting trivia about De Niro and the effort he put in to pull off a young Vito aka Brando.
THE GODFATHER 2 WITH SUBTITLES MOVIE
The casting of ‘rising star’ Robert De Niro, the choice to make The Godfather II a non-linear narrative at the time it was released, spending so much money on its production and once again making a 200-minute movie - these were all risks that paid handsomely. Take, for instance, the young Vito Corleone angle. And what a job he did! Not only was The Godfather II able to match the cinematic style and wit of the first movie, it even managed to outdo it in some sequences. At the time, he already had Paramount Pictures and producers vying for his attention, offering him a stupendous amount of money to take up the project and churn yet another hit. However, Francis Ford Coppola belongs to a different ilk. So what novel ideas could the filmmaker bring to the table now? That was a challenge, and directors frequently and unfortunately, fail to rise to the occasion. We already knew about the Corleone family and the new dynamics since Vito Corleone’s (essayed by Marlon Brando) death. What makes this sequel-prequel even more interesting than its predecessor is its treatment of a rooted, familiar narrative. Regarded as one of the benchmarks of western cinema, especially so in the crime genre, The Godfather II is often touted as a better film than its prequel, The Godfather, which is a masterpiece in itself. The 1974 movie is made up of many such great and small parts. It is a shame to his ‘hyper-masculinity’ and intelligence. Michael Corleone cannot believe what he is hearing, fooled and ‘betrayed’ by his own wife. His eyes bulge out of its sockets, his frame is silently shaking in suppressed anger. And in this sequence when he is informed by his wife that she had their child aborted, he is livid. He is an alert, aggressive man who is devastating when he loses his cool. Don Michael Corleone (played with finesse by the incomparable Al Pacino) is anything but blind.
The first line here that Kay utters in complete despair and quiet rage is, “Michael, you are blind.” The irony is strong here. And I had it killed because this must all end!” says Diane Keaton’s Kay Adams in one of the most chilling moments of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II. I didn’t want your son, Michael! I wouldn’t bring another one of your sons into this world.