Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' finally set for Cannes premiere
Originally set to shun festival premieres until a distribution strategy was locked in, Francis Ford Coppola's long-awaited sci-fi masterpiece, Megalopolis, is now gearing up for a grand debut at the Cannes Film Festival. Per reports, the film is scheduled to be unveiled in a grand slot on May 17. It features an ensemble cast of Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Shia LaBeouf, among others.
Why does this story matter?
Coppola's cherished passion project, Megalopolis, which he has nurtured since 1983 and self-funded with a staggering $120M, is facing a hurdle in securing a distributor. To solve this issue, a screening was organized on March 28, drawing representatives from major studios like Warner Bros., Disney, and Netflix. Despite the buzz, the film failed to entice any distributors to take it under their wing. Uncertainty shrouds its future path, which might be resolved with its Cannes premiere.
Complete selection for Cannes will be announced soon
Coppola has previously disclosed that Ancient Rome was a significant source of inspiration for Megalopolis. He expressed his fascination with the political struggles of the Roman Republic and how they led to its downfall on Instagram. Meanwhile, the complete selection for Cannes will be announced this Thursday. Other notable films debuting outside of competition categories include George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Kevin Costner's Western epic Horizon: An American Saga, and Quentin Dupieux's opening film The Second Act.
'Megalopolis' production and initial reception by studios, distributors
Megalopolis, written, directed, and produced by Coppola, commenced filming in 2022 and wrapped up production in March 2023. In its first screening last month, industry leaders opined that Megalopolis might be too specialized for commercial success. Meanwhile, other attendees noted that while Megalopolis might be somewhat disjointed in its narrative structure, it is also highly imaginative and relevant to our times. Despite this, studios are hesitant to commit to a significant marketing campaign, which could potentially incur costs nearing $100M.
'Megalopolis' storyline: A political ambition and conflicted love
Despite keeping the plot details a secret, referring to it as an enigmatic puzzle, the official synopsis suggests a story of political ambition and conflicted love set against social issues in a world haunted by Rome's fate. Previously, Coppola shared on Instagram a list of books that the film has been heavily influenced by—Bullshit Jobs (2018), The Dawn of Everything (2021), Debt: The First 5000 Years (2011), The Chalice and the Blade (1987), The Glass Bead Game (1943), among others.
