The idea that the iconic auteurFrancis Ford Coppolahas had a project up his sleeves for the better part of three decades is one that surely gets everyone to sit up and take notice. Very few filmmakers boast of the imagination and creative nous that Coppola is known for. Now in the twilight of his career, thislong gestated passion projectMegalopolismight just be his most ambitious film ever. Coppola began writing the script forMegalopolisin the 1980s but had to shelve it when it became obvious no one was willing to finance a project of that magnitude at that point in his career. Now the time is right. Thanks to an illustrious career, he has amassed a personal fortune enough to bankroll his dream film, and it promises to be a spectacle as always.
Megalopolisis centered around the aftermath and reconstruction of New Rome following a disaster that wrecked the city and wiped off its urban infrastructure. Amid this chaos is an architect who is intent on braving the odds to rebuild New Rome as a utopia after the devastating natural disaster.Megalopolisis Coppola’s brainchild, and he will be doubling as screenwriter and director. The announcement that this project is on the horizon is a tantalizing prospect. Here is everything we know so far aboutMegalopolis, from casting to filming and every other detail available.
Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on June 09, 2025.
7Does ‘Megalopolis’ Have a Release Date?
After months of searching for a distributor, in June 2024 it was announced thatLionsgate will releaseMegalopolison Friday, August 23, 2025,in theaters across the U.S. and Canada. The movie will also be playing on IMAX screens, as part of the deal. Opening in the same week is the DreamWorks animated movie,The Wild Robot.
Speaking on the movie’s acquisition in a PR release, the chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group,Adam Fogelsonsaid:
“Francis is a legend. For many of us, his gifts to cinema were one of the inspirations to devote our own careers to film. It is a true privilege to work with him, and to bring this incredible, audacious, and utterly unique movie to theatrical audiences. At Lionsgate, we strive to be a home for bold and daring artists, andMegalopolisproves there is no one more bold or daring than the maestro, Francis Ford Coppola.”
Coppola also expressed his excitement in the press release, saying:
“One rule of business I’ve always followed and prioritized (to my benefit) is to continue working with companies and teams who over time have proven to be good friends as well as great collaborators. This is why I am thrilled to have Adam Fogelson and Lionsgate Studios releaseMegalopolis. I am confident they will apply the same tender love and care given toApocalypse Now, which is currently in its 45th year of astounding revenue and appreciation.”
In January 2024, Coppola revealed on a podcast thatthe film would be out in just “a few months.“This indicated that Coppola was hoping to premiere the film at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, with a wide release to follow soon after.
The movie finally made its world premiere on May 17 at the Cannes Film Festival, alongside films such asGeorge Miller’sFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga,Sean Baker’sAnora, andYorgos Lanthimos’Kinds of Kindness.
6Will ‘Megalopolis’ Be On Streaming?
No, as of now,the only way you’ll be able to seeMegalopolisis in theaters. That being said, alongside the announcement that Lionsgate had acquired the film, it was revealed that the studio also has the home video and streaming rights.Megalopoliswill likely end up streaming on Starz at some point in early 2025, which is where most of Lionsgate’s movies stream after 5–6 months.
5Is There a Trailer for ‘Megalopolis’?
Francis Ford Coppola releaseda sneak peek ofMegalopolison July 20, 2025. The preview doesn’t give away much, and shows Adam Driver in character, standing on top of a skyscraper.
In his post, Coppola wrote:
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.
Mere days before its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival,Francis Ford Coppola unveiled the first teaser trailer forMegalopolison June 28, 2025.
Alongside releasing the teaser, Coppola made a bold claim about the movie:
Our new film MEGALOPOLIS is the best work I’ve ever had the privilege to preside over.
A second trailer forMegalopoliswas released by Lionsgate on August 21. The trailer begins in the most audacious way possible, showing excerpts of negative reviews for several of Coppola’s most celebrated movies, includingThe GodfatherandApocalypse Now(and alsoBram Stoker’s Dracula), before cutting to footage from the movie with a voice-over narration telling the audience that “one filmmaker has always been ahead of his time.”
The trailer garnered an immense amount of controversy as it was revealed that many of the review excerpts were fake. Due to the backlash,Lionsgate pulled the trailer from their YouTube channeland issued an apology that read:
“Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for ‘Megalopolis'. We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error in our vetting process. We screwed up. We are sorry.”
An updated version of the secondMegalopolistrailer was released by Lionsgate on July 10, 2025.
4What Is the Plot of ‘Megalopolis’?
Set in modern-day America,Megalopoliswill have similarities with Roman epic films, this time told with a focus on America. According to Coppola, the story will be based on The second Catiline Conspiracy, a feud between Roman senator Lucius Sergius Catilina and Marcus Tullius Cicero. Catilina hatches a plot with the help of a few disgruntled Roman Aristocrats to overthrow Cicero. In the context ofMegalopolis, the beleaguered government official is the mayor of New Rome, who amid a financial crisis has a fight on his hands to keep his job. While it’s obvious the city depicted is New York, inMegalopolisit takes up the form of some sort of New Rome.
The storyline centers around an architect whose vision of a utopian city clashes with that of a corrupt mayor who would rather maintain the status quo than push the needle on the Architects' more progressive ideas. Coppola wants to use this story to draw contemporary society’s attention back to issues around environmental degradation, poor urban planning, and inequality. Coppola strongly believes that the same issues that led to the collapse of the Roman Empire could easily happen if modern society doesn’t wake up to the realities of the changing times.
Adam Driver, who stars in the film, told Collider thatthe film is “wild,“adding:
“It’s so imaginative and big and epic, and it’s bold.It takes a risk, and I couldn’t be more excited by it.”
The official plot synopsis from Lionsgate reads:
Megalopolisis a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.
3Who Stars in ‘Megalopolis’?
Megalopolispromises a star-studded castthat will include one of the most versatile actors around; Academy Award nomineeAdam Driver(Star Wars: The Force Awakens),stars in the leading role of Cesar Catilina, a brilliant and ambitious architect who struggles with infidelity and drug abuse.
Giancarlo Esposito(Better Call Saul)plays Franklyn Cicero, the embattled mayor of New Rome, who clashes with Cesar’s vision of a utopia. Academy Award winnerForrest Whitakerwas previously attached to the role but left the project for unknown reasons.
Nathalie Emmanuel(Game of Thrones)plays Julia Cicero, Franklyn’s daughter and Cesar’s lover. Academy Award nomineeLaurence Fishburne(The Matrix)plays Caesar’s confidant Fundi Romaine.
Other cast members on board Coppola’s passion project include Academy Award winnerJon Voight(Midnight Cowboy) as Cesar’s uncle Hamilton Crassus III,Aubrey Plaza(Parks & Recreation) as eccentric TV reporter Wow Platinum,Jason Schwartzman(Asteroid City) as Jason Zanderz who is a member of Franklyn’s entourage,Shia LaBeouf(The Peanut Butter Falcon) as Cesar’s treacherous cousin Clodio Pulcher, Academy Award nomineeTalia Shire(Rocky) as Cesar’s mother Constance Crassus Catilina,Grace VanderWaal(Disney’sStargirl) as virginal popstar Vesta Sweetwater,Kathryn Hunter(Poor Things) as Franklyn’s wife Tresa Cicero, Academy Award winnerDustin Hoffman(Rain Man) as Franklyn’s fixer Nush “The Fixer” Berman,James Remar(Sex and the City) as Charles Cothope,Chloe Fineman(Saturday Night Live) as Clodia Pulcher,Isabelle Kusman(The Fabelmans) as Claudine Pulcher,D.B. Sweeney(Fire in the Sky) as Commissioner Stanley Hart,Balthazar Getty(Lost Highway) as Aram Kazanjian,Haley Sims(Dead to Me) as Sunny Hope Catilina,Madeleine Gardellaas Claudette Pulcher andBailey Ivesas Huey Wilkes.
Having been in the works for over three decades, it makes sense thatMegalopoliswent through some major casting changes. In August 2021, it was reported thatOscar Isaac,Zendaya,Cate Blanchett,Michelle Pfeiffer,Jessica Lange, and the lateJames Caan, were being eyed for roles in the film, but none came to fruition.
2Who Is Making ‘Megalopolis’?
Francis Ford Coppola will be directing and producingMegalopolis.Arguably one of the most illustrious filmmakers of his generation, Coppola has won five Academy Awards, been awarded the Palme d’Or twice, and has received a BAFTA award. His trilogy of crime filmsThe Godfatheris constantly in the conversation as one of the greatest films ever made. His other films includeApocalypse Now,The Conversation, The Rainmaker,Bram Stoker’s Dracula,andThe Outsiders.
Megalopolishas been Coppola’s passion project since the 1980s. He announced on the eve of his 80th birthday that it was time for him to embark on his dream project and perhaps his most ambitious sinceApocalypse Now. Coppola has been known to be critical of the film industry and its preference for financing franchises to the detriment of other filmmakers with more personal, non-franchise projects. Throughout his career, Coppola has seen himself pitched against the Hollywood establishment with a history of creative clashes with producers and studio executives whose obsession was commercial success was diametrically opposed to his views on filmmaking.
Now 83, and armed with a financial war chest robust enough to bankroll his creative desires, Coppola is willing to plow much of his fortune into the production ofMegalopolis. Aware that none of the big studios will be ready to invest the big bucks in a non-franchise type production, Coppola, freeing himself from the shackles of Hollywood, is set to do what he has done for the best part of five decades - tell the story his way. Megalopolis is expected to gulp between $100 to $120 million, and he appears willing to self-finance the movie.
In an interview withCollider,Driver praised his experience working with Coppola, proclaiming:
But it has been one of the best – without hyperbole – best shooting experiences of my life. Watching him work that crew, that design team, he has such a command over cinematic language and an archive in his mind of shots that are so beautiful. And doing something so ambitious, and on his own terms, that you would think that it would be dictatorial or really controlled, but he is the most warm, open, thoughtful, director who is just… He really – and this all sounds like being very general, but he really embodies this thing of like, “We’re making this experiment and we’re not interested in how it comes out. We’re interested in the process of making it.” And inevitably because of that, the thing that you make, there’s no film reference for. I think what he’s made is so unique and interesting. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it.
1When and Where Did ‘Megalopolis’ Film?
Filming for Megalopolis began in early November 2022 at Trilith Studios in Georgia. Filming was initially set to wrap around March 2023, but there have been reports of production troubles with the film. The film was initially going to use the same LED virtual soundstage technology asThe Mandalorian,but those plans were scrapped among budgetary concerns. The film reportedlylost its entire visual effects teamat the beginning of December and recently lost its production designer and chief supervising art director. The film has now gone over budget, and there is some speculation as to whether the film can actually be completed.
Coppola has gone on todeny those rumorsstating in an interview:
“I love my cast, I love what I’m getting each day, I am on schedule and on budget, and that’s what is important to me,”
Driver has alsodenied the rumorssaying:
“All good here! Not sure what set you’re talking about! I don’t recognize that one! I’ve been on sets that were chaotic and this one is far from it.”
On August 01, 2025, Coppola revealed on Instagram thatfilming forMegalopolishad wrapped.
Megalopolis
An architect wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.
