Decades after first conceiving of the idea for his passion project, legendary directorFrancis Ford Coppolahas finally revealed the first footage from the star-studdedMegalopolis.Coppola first began working on the script for his epic back in the 1980s, before putting it on the backburner when it became clear no one would fund the ambitious project. Now, at 84 years old, Coppola isn’t waiting on anyone else to make his dream a reality, self-financing the film. And by the looks of things, his hard work has paid off.
The film has been described as a Roman epic set in America, during the reconstruction of New York City following a disaster that wiped out all the infrastructure. The first sneak peek featuresAdam Driver’s Cesar, out on the ledge of a skyscraper, walking dangerously close to the edge.In an Instagram post, Coppola shared a heartwarming and bittersweet message, revealing the movie is dedicated tohis late wifeEleanor Coppola,saying:
“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.”
The cast of the filmfeatures some of Hollywood’s brightest talents. Leading things is Driver’s Cesar,Forest Whitakeras the Mayor of New York. The cast also includesNathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, andShia LaBeouf.It’s also a family affair for Coppola, as his sisterTalia Shire, and nephewJason Schwartzman, both seasoned actors in their own right, also join the cast.
A Troubled Production?
Thestory ofMegalopolisdraws inspiration from the second Catiline Conspiracy, where Roman senator Lucius Sergius Catilina conspired with disgruntled aristocrats to overthrow Marcus Tullius Cicero, a conflict they would eventually lose. InMegalopolis, this takes the form of an “epic story of political ambition, genius, and dangerous love.” But while there is already plenty of drama onscreen, for a while it seemed as thoughthe troubles had extended offscreenas well.
In early 2023, there were reports of “chaos” on set, putting the production in peril as several key creatives walked away from the project. Despite these reports, filming on the project continued as scheduled, with the shootwrapping in late March as planned. WhileCoppola did confirmthat there had been a significant turnover in the VFX department, he denied that this meant the production was in severe trouble.
Megalopoliswill premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Check out the sneak peek below:
Megalopolis
An architect wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.
