After over a decade since his last film, Francis Ford Coppola returns to the big screen with a big-budget, star-studded Megalopolis cast. Coppola’s last directed movie was the 2011 horror Twixt. The 2024 Megalopolis is Coppola’s ambitious science fiction drama that has been in the world for decades. The movie reunited Coppola with several past collaborators, including actors and production crew.
Coppola’s Megalopolis is set in an imagined modern United States that draws parallels between a futuristic United States and the fall of Rome. With a production budget of $120–136 million, Francis Ford Coppola reportedly financed Megalopolis independently. Coppola assembled a star-studded cast, blending established stars and rising talents to bring his futuristic vision to life. Here are the top Megalopolis cast and the characters they play.
Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina
Adam Driver leads the Megalopolis cast, playing the protagonist, Cesar Catilina. The character’s vision for the futuristic, utopian Megalopolis is the story’s central plot. Cesar is an architect gifted with the ability to stop time. Having collaborated with several auteur filmmakers for most of his career, Adam Driver needs little to no introduction.
He has had a successful career as a leading man in the last decade. Several of his most prominent roles include Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Det. Philip “Flip” Zimmerman in BlacKkKlansman (2018), and Officer Ronald Peterson in The Dead Don’t Die (2019). He recently portrayed Maurizio Gucci in House of Gucci (2021) and Enzo Ferrari in Ferrari (2023).
Giancarlo Esposito as Mayor Franklyn Cicero
Veteran actor Giancarlo Esposito also joins the Megalopolis cast as Mayor Franklyn Cicero. The character is the city’s Mayor, who’s at odds with Casar Catilina’s plans for the utopian Megalopolis. Giancarlo Esposito had previously worked with Francis Ford Coppola in the director’s 1984 The Cotton Club. With an acting career of over 40 years, Giancarlo Esposito is famous for playing Gus Fring in the award-winning AMC crime drama Breaking Bad and its spin-off prequel, Better Call Saul. He recently starred in Abigail (2024), MaXXXine (2024), The Gentlemen (2024), and Parish (2024).
Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero
British actress Nathalie Emmanuel is cast as Julia Cicero in Megalopolis. Emmanuel’s Julia Cicero character is the daughter of the city’s Mayor, Franklyn Cicero. Against her father’s wish, Julia soon becomes Cesar Catilina’s love interest. In the last decade, actress Natalie Emmanuel has starred in several notable projects in film and television.
Arguably, her international breakthrough role came in 2013 when she joined the cast of the Emmy-winning HBO series Game of Thrones as Missandei. She’s also known for her roles in the Maze Runner movies, Fast & Furious films, and Army of Thieves (2021). Nathalie Emmanuel also starred in The Invitation (2022), The Killer (2024), and the Die Hart TV series.
Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum
Actress, comedian, and producer Aubrey Plaza also joins the Megalopolis cast in a supporting role as Wow Platinum. Her character is a TV presenter introduced as Cesar Catilina’s mistress. However, Wow Platinum has an ambition for wealth and power. She later dumps Cesar for the wealthier bank CEO, Hamilton Crassus III.
Aubrey Plaza has received the recognition she deserves as an actress in the past decade. She had her breakthrough role as April Ludgate on NBC’s Parks and Recreation (2009–2015). Plaza is also known for roles in Safety Not Guaranteed (2012), Legion (2017–2019), Ingrid Goes West (2017), and the 2024 Agatha All Along miniseries.
Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III
Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight is cast as Hamilton Crassus III in Megalopolis. Voight plays the wealthy uncle of Cesar Catilina and Clodio Pulcher. Crassus is a wealthy bank CEO who later marries Cesar Catilina’s mistress, Wow Platinum. Jon Voight’s acting career spans over 60 years. The actor has starred in several big-budget productions and worked with Hollywood’s top actors and filmmakers. Voight’s recent roles include Ray Donovan (2013–2020), Ray Donovan: The Movie (2022), and Reagan (2024).
Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher
Shia LaBeouf plays a jealous cousin to Adam Driver’s character. Cast as Clodio Pulcher, the character becomes a thorn in the flesh for Cesar Catilina. Clodio later becomes the victim of his own orchestrations. Before a series of controversies that ultimately affected his career, Shia LaBeouf had accumulated an impressive resumé. He’s known for his roles in the Transformers trilogy films, Constantine (2005), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010). He also starred in Lawless (2012), Nymphomaniac (2013), and recently in Padre Pio (2022).
Laurence Fishburne as Fundi Romaine
Besides acting as the film’s narrator, Laurence Fishburne joins the Megalopolis cast playing Fundi Romaine. The character plays Cesar Catilina’s assistant and driver. Laurence Fishburne is a past collaborator of Francis Ford Coppola. Fishburne has starred in several notable roles, such as Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979), Boyz n the Hood (1991), The Matrix series (1991–2003), and the John Wick film series. While the Megalopolis cast has helped breathe life into Francis Ford Coppola’s long-awaited movie, here’s a look at several other of Coppola’s top screenplays.
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