The Godfather director 'raced to hospital' after attending film festival

The Godfather director, Francis Ford Coppola, has reportedly been "hospitalised" in Italy. According to MailOnline, the 86-year-old was taken to the hospital on Tuesday morning in Calabria and had been presenting a screening of his film, Megalopolis, at the Magna Grecia Festival. The publication reported that Francis was spending a lot of the summer in Italy looking for locations for his new film, which is said to start filming in the autumn. The iconic film director is known for major Hollywood classics, including Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Over the course of his incredible career, he has won five Oscars. Last month, a crowd of young people greeted him in Soverato as a special guest at the preview screening of the Magna Graecia Film Festival.

He said at the time: "Young people tell me the world is a mess. But I tell them there's no problem that humanity can't solve. We must build a great new future, and do it together for the sake of our children. And tonight, we're taking a leap into the future."

A spokesperson for Francis Ford Coppola told Express Online: "Mr. Coppola went in for a scheduled update procedure with acclaimed Dr. Andrea Natale, his doctor of over 30 years, and is resting nicely. All is well and he appreciates everyone's concern."

Coppola's breakthrough in directing came with The Godfather in 1974. It featured major stars such as Marlon Brando, Robert de Niro, and Al Pacino and often tops polls of the greatest films ever made.

He then directed Apocalypse Now in 1979, which also starred Martin Sheen, Harrison Ford, Marlon Brando, and Laurence Fishburne.