Megalopolis will mark the first film released by Francis Ford Coppola since 2016’s under-the-radar drama, Distant Vision. Across his storied career, Coppola has won five Academy Awards and is widely considered to be one of the most iconic filmmakers of all time. Perhaps most famous for directing The Godfather trilogy, Coppola has also took the helm of legendary movies like The Outsiders and Apocalypse Now.
In 2024, Francis Ford Coppola will release his long-time passion project, Megalopolis. After years in development and with a cast packed full of A-list talent, it has become one of the most talked about movies of the last decade. So, here’s everything we know about the movie so far.
What Is the Plot of Megalopolis?
While finer plot details have been kept tightly under wraps, Megalopolis has been described as a sci-fi-drama. The plot will focus on a dystopian version of New York City, set in the aftermath of a tragic disaster. From here, an architect sets out to rebuild the city and create his own utopia. Adam Driver has top-billing on the movie and is rumoured to be taking the lead role as Caesar. In a sneak peek clip released on Francis Ford Coppola’s social media, Driver takes precedent as he is the only actor in the entire shot, therefore alluding to the fact that he will forefront the picture.
As of yet, a trailer has not been released. The snippet was released on May 4, 2024 in tribute to Coppola’s late wife. He captioned the clip: “Megalopolis has always been a film dedicated to my dear wife Eleanor. I really had hoped to celebrate her birthday together this May 4th. But sadly that was not to be, so let me share with everyone a gift on her behalf.”
Although the clip doesn’t give too much away, it echoes the mind-bending feel of Christopher Nolan‘s Inception, focused on time. In the first-look footage, Driver’s character appears to possess the ability to stop time, as he leans over a skyscraper and all of the traffic below halts before clicking his fingers and the world resumes. At the beginning of 2024, The Hollywood Reporter stated that distributors had seen the film and some labelled it “crazy” and “uncommercial”. Another distributor reportedly claimed that “There is just no way to position this movie.”
Unveiling Francis Ford Coppola’s Long Journey to Making the Movie
Francis Ford Coppola is a truly diverse filmmaker who has transcended many genres. He has also occupied the director’s chair on projects scaling from huge budget blockbusters like Apocalypse Now to lower-scale indie movies like Tetro (2009). Furthermore, he has been known to self-finance a number of his movies in order to maintain complete creative control. Megalopolis is another example of one of his self-financed projects.
The concept of the movie first came to Coppola in the late 70s and he began piecing it together in 1979. However, since then, Megalopolis has become known as one of the most oblique projects in Hollywood history. After a plethora of setbacks and delays, Coppola eventually decided to fund the movie himself, reportedly using profits from his lucrative wine company. The budget for Megalopolis has been reported to be $120 million and Coppola has had zero investment from producers or studios.
Who Stars in Megalopolis?
Francis Ford Coppola has always been known as a director who can wrangle together a star-studded cast. Megalopolis is no exception. Alongside Adam Driver will be the likes of Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, James Remar, Jon Voight, and Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito. Furthermore, Megalopolis will see Coppola collaborate with Talia Shire for the first time since The Godfather trilogy closed off with the third instalment in 1990. At the time of writing, little is known about the cast’s characters and how substantial their roles will be, however, there’s no denying that an impressive line-up of Hollywood talent is on display.
When Will Megalopolis Be Released?
Considering the pre-production turmoil that the movie faced, Megalopolis will be hitting theaters sooner than many would have anticipated. The film was shot between November 2022 and March 2023 and is now listed as completed on IMDB, with an official run time of 2 hours and 13 minutes. As of yet, Megalopolis is slated for release in September 2024. The film is set to premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, but is yet to secure a distributor in the UK and US. So, chances are that when a distributor is secured, the movie’s trailer will unveil the exact release date. Until then, here are 5 movies that are gearing up to be the summer blockbusters of 2024.
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