"Megalopolis": first teaser for Francis Ford Coppola's new mega-epic
Francis Ford Coppola's "best film" is due to be released in cinemas this year: "Megalopolis". Today, the legendary director himself has released a first teaser. However, he still lacks a distribution partner.
When legendary director Francis Ford Coppola announces a new film as his "best work to date", the world listens up. But the director of "Apocalypse Now" and "The Godfather" has to keep the promotional drum beating: "Megalopolis" is set to premiere at the Film Festival, which starts today in Cannes. However, the old master still lacks a distribution partner to bring the film to cinemas in autumn at the latest.
In fact, Coppola is the author, director and producer of his own film. He is said to have spent 40 years working on the project close to his heart. However, he never found a studio that dared to realise his visually stunning vision. In the end, Coppola sold part of his wine empire to cover the production costs of 120 million dollars on his own - at the proud age of 80.
Today, three years later, Apple in particular seems to be interested in the distribution rights. The Americans would first release the film in cinemas and then add it to their streaming catalogue - just as happened with Ridley Scott's "Napoleon" or Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon". However, nothing has been finalised yet.
What we know about "Megalopolis" so far
Days before the premiere, only so much is known about the plot: "Megalopolis" is set in a fictional New York, but is said to have similarities with the collapse of the Roman Empire. While architect Caesar Catalina (Adam Driver) dreams of rebuilding a progressive utopia after a devastating natural disaster, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) tries to hold on to the regressive status quo. This is not only characterised by greed, special interests and party wars, but also guarantees Cicero the preservation of his position of power.
The iconic director is thus sticking to his socio-critical stance: "Megalopolis" is not just intended to be "a fable", as the trailer suggests, but a nudge in the right direction. After all, the same problems that led to the fall of the Roman Empire could soon destroy our modern society. At least that's what says Coppola, who is known for repeatedly taking on Hollywood's establishment for prioritising commerce over creativity.
In any case, the director doesn't have many friends among studio bosses. This is probably another reason why he is finding it difficult to find partners for his film. If "Megalopolis" is to be released in cinemas after all, Coppola has no choice but to enter into alliances of convenience. At least he can lure the commercially driven studios with a well-known cast: In addition to Driver and Esposito, Shia LaBeouf, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Voight, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jason Schwartzman and Dustin Hoffman also star. <p
I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»