Francis Ford Coppola is shrugging off retirement rumors ahead of the release of his sprawling self-financed film “Megalopolis.”
Coppola had been developing the original story for “Megalopolis” for close to 30 years, with Deadline reporting that the auteur lost 75 pounds to increase his stamina to complete the script. The 84-year-old filmmaker told the outlet that despite “Megalopolis” being a “big, difficult” movie, it is in no way his swan song.
In fact, his next upcoming project is finally what led Coppola to consider “Megalopolis” as complete.
“One way I knew ‘Megalopolis’ was finished is that I’ve begun work on a new film,” Coppola said. “It won’t be cheap by any means, but I don’t know it can be called ‘an epic film.’”
“Megalopolis” centers on the destruction of a utopian society that struggles with adapting to the future. Cesar, an architectural idealist played by Adam Driver, clashes with city mayor Frank Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) over how to handle the accident. The mayor’s daughter Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel) becomes caught between both warring powers.
How big is “Megalopolis”? It already has its own making-of documentary by filmmaker Mike Figgis.
The “Megalopolis” ensemble cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Chloe Fineman, Kathryn Hunter, Dustin Hoffman, D.B., Sweeney, Jason Schwartzman, Baily Ives, Grace Vanderwaal, and James Remar.
Driver has since revealed that his character Cesar is in part inspired by writer/director Coppola himself. He added that “Megalopolis” is an unprecedented moviegoing experience that transcends genre.
“It’s kind of undefinable, which feels very general until you watch the movie,” Driver said.” There’s not a lot of precedent for it and it’s wild on a big scale, which is what’s really unique about it.”
Coppola previously teased that the film would be released in early 2024. “Megalopolis” is expected to debut at Cannes on the festival circuit. The Cannes Film Festival begins in the middle of May.
Coppola issued a statement to the audience of an early screening for buyers in March 2024, writing, “As heard from me before, ‘I believe in America.’ If I could leave you with one thought after you see my new film, it would be this: Our founders borrowed a Constitution, Roman Law, and Senate for their revolutionary government without a king, so American History could neither have taken place nor succeed as it did without classical learning to guide it.”
