Francis Ford Coppola writes films.
Francis Ford Coppola . After directing The Rain People ( 1969 ) , he co-wrote the 1970 film Patton , earning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay along with co-writer Edmund H. North . He followed with The Godfather Part II in 1974 , which became the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture . The Conversation is a 1974 American mystery thriller film written , produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman with supporting roles by John Cazale , Allen Garfield , Cindy Williams , Frederic Forrest , Harrison Ford , Teri Garr and Robert Duvall . The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo , starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro .