The thought that the iconic auteur Francis Ford Coppola has had a project up his sleeves for the greater aspect of 3 decades is one particular that certainly gets everybody to sit up and take notice. Very couple of filmmakers boast of the imagination and inventive nous that Coppola is identified for, now in the twilight of his profession, this lengthy gestated passion project Megalopolis may possibly just be his most ambitious film ever. Coppola started writing the script for Megalopolis in the 1980s but had to shelve it when it became apparent no one particular was prepared to finance a project of that magnitude at that point in his profession. Now the time is appropriate. Thanks to an illustrious profession, he has amassed a individual fortune adequate to bankroll his dream film, and it promises to be a spectacle as generally.

Megalopolis is centered about the aftermath and reconstruction of New York City 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 York City as a utopia immediately after the devastating all-natural disaster. Megalopolis is 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, right here is every thing we know so far about Megalopolis, from casting to filming and each other detail accessible.

Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on May 14, 2024.

Megalopolis (2024)

An architect desires to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Cast

Adam Driver , Forest Whitaker , Nathalie Emmanuel , Jon Voight , Laurence Fishburne , Aubrey Plaza , Jason Schwartzman , Shia LaBeouf , Talia Shire , Grace VanderWaal , Kathryn Hunter , James Remar , Chloe Fineman , D.B. Sweeney , Dustin Hoffman , Giancarlo Esposito

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Writers

Francis Ford Coppola

Studio(s)

American Zoetrope

Does ‘Megalopolis’ Have a Release Date?

No, Megalopolis does not have a release date however. The film is at present devoid of a distributor, so it is difficult to say when the film will be released. It would not be also surprising if a studio like NEON decided to choose the film up, specially considering that they have been the ones who distributed Michael Mann‘s Ferrari immediately after it lost its distribution.

In January 2024, Coppola revealed on a podcast that the film would be out in just “a few months.” That could imply that Coppola is hoping to premiere the film at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, with a wide release to comply with quickly immediately after. While a Cannes premiere does appear probably, that does not imply that the film will be out quickly immediately after.

In April 2024, it was reported that the film would lastly be producing its globe premiere on May 17, at the Cannes Film Festival, alongside films such as George Miller‘s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Kevin Costner‘s Horizon: An American Saga, and Quentin Dupieux‘s The Second Act.

For instance, Todd Haynes‘ May December had its globe premiere at the festival in May 2023, exactly where it was then acquired by Netflix, but the film did not get its restricted theatrical release till November 2023.

Is There a Trailer for ‘Megalopolis’?

Francis Ford Coppola released a sneak peek of Megalopolis on May 4, 2024. The preview does not give away substantially, and shows Adam Driver in character, standing on top rated of a skyscraper.

In his post, Coppola wrote:

Megalopolis has generally been a film devoted to my dear wife Eleanor. I seriously had hoped to celebrate her birthday with each other this May 4th. But sadly that was not to be, so let me share with everybody a present on her behalf.

Mere days just before its globe premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Francis Ford Coppola unveiled the very first teaser trailer for Megalopolis on May 14, 2024.

Alongside releasing the teaser, Coppola produced a bold claim about the film:

Our new film MEGALOPOLIS is the very best operate I’ve ever had the privilege to preside more than.

What Is the Plot of ‘Megalopolis’?

Set in modern day-day America, Megalopolis will have similarities with Roman epic films, this time told with a concentrate on America. According to Coppola, the story will be primarily based on The second Catiline Conspiracy, a feud among Roman senator Lucius Sergius Catilina and Marcus Tullius Cicero. Catilina hatches a plot with the support of a couple of disgruntled Roman Aristocrats to overthrow Cicero. In the context of Megalopolis, the beleaguered government official is the mayor of New York, who amid a economic crisis has a fight on his hands to preserve his job. While it really is apparent the city depicted is New York, in Megalopolis it requires up the kind of some sort of New Rome.

Though the whole plot is not completely identified, a lot of the storyline will center about an architect whose vision of a utopian city clashes with that of a corrupt mayor who would rather keep the status quo than push the needle on the Architects’ far more progressive tips. Coppola desires to use this story to draw modern society’s consideration back to problems about environmental degradation, poor urban preparing, and inequality. Coppola strongly believes that the identical problems that led to the collapse of the Roman Empire could very easily come about if modern day society does not wake up to the realities of the altering occasions.

Adam Driver, who stars in the film, told Collider that the film is “wild,” adding:

“It’s so imaginative and huge and epic, and it is bold.

It requires a danger

, and I couldn’t be far more excited by it.”

Who Stars in ‘Megalopolis’?

Megalopolispromises a star-studded cast that will incorporate one particular of the most versatile actors about Academy Award nominee Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), who will play the part of Cesar Catilina. Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul) will play Franklyn Cicero, the embattled mayor of New York (or New Rome), a part that previously had Academy Award winner Forrest Whitaker attached. Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) stars in the part of Julia Cicero, and Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) is set to play Caesar’s confidant Fundi Romaine.

Other cast members on board Coppola’s passion project incorporate Academy Award winner Jon Voight (Midnight Cowboy) as Hamilton Crassus III, Aubrey Plaza (Parks &amp Recreation) as Wow Platinum, Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City)as Jason Zanderz, Shia LaBeouf (The Peanut Butter Falcon) as Clodio Pulcher, Academy Award nominee Talia Shire (Rocky) as Constance Crassus Catilina, Grace VanderWaal (Disney’s Stargirl) as Vesta Sweetwater, Kathryn Hunter (Poor Things) as Tresa Cicero, and Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man) as Nush “The Fixer” Berman. James Remar (Sex and the City), Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live), Isabelle Kusman (The Fabelmans), D.B. Sweeney (Fire in the Sky), and newcomers Madeleine Gardella and Bailey Ives also star in the film in undisclosed roles.

Who Is Making ‘Megalopolis’?

Francis Ford Coppola will be directing and creating Megalopolis. Arguably one particular of the most illustrious filmmakers of his generation, Coppola has won 5 Academy Awards, been awarded the Palme d’Or twice, and has received a BAFTA award. His trilogy of crime films The Godfather is regularly in the conversation as one particular of the greatest films ever produced. His other films incorporate Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, The Rainmaker, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and The Outsiders.

Megalopolis has been Coppola’s passion project considering that the 1980s. He announced on the eve of his 80th birthday that it was time for him to embark on his dream project and possibly his most ambitious considering that Apocalypse Now. Coppola has been identified to be vital of the film sector and its preference for financing franchises to the detriment of other filmmakers with far more individual, non-franchise projects. Throughout his profession, Coppola has observed himself pitched against the Hollywood establishment with a history of inventive clashes with producers and studio executives whose obsession was industrial good results was diametrically opposed to his views on filmmaking.

Now 83, and armed with a economic war chest robust adequate to bankroll his inventive desires, Coppola is prepared to plow substantially of his fortune into the production of Megalopolis. Aware that none of the huge studios will be prepared to invest the huge bucks in a non-franchise kind production, Coppola, freeing himself from the shackles of Hollywood, is set to do what he has carried out for the very best aspect of 5 decades – inform the story his way. Megalopolis is anticipated to gulp among $100 to $120 million, and he seems prepared to self-finance the film.

In an interview with Collider, Driver praised his knowledge functioning with Coppola, proclaiming:

But it has been one particular of the very best – devoid of hyperbole – very best shooting experiences of my life. Watching him operate that crew, that design and style group, he has such a command more than cinematic language and an archive in his thoughts of shots that are so gorgeous. And performing a thing so ambitious, and on his personal terms, that you would feel that it would be dictatorial or seriously controlled, but he is the most warm, open, thoughtful, director who is just… He seriously – and this all sounds like getting quite basic, but he seriously embodies this factor 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 due to the fact of that, the factor that you make, there is no film reference for. I feel what he’s produced is so exclusive and exciting. I could not be far more proud to be a aspect of it.

When and Where Did ‘Megalopolis’ Film?

Filming for Megalopolis started in early November 2022 at Trilith Studios in Georgia. Filming was initially set to wrap about March 2023, but there have been reports of production troubles with the film. The film was initially going to use the identical LED virtual soundstage technologies as The Mandalorian, but these plans have been scrapped amongst budgetary issues. The film reportedly lost its whole visual effects group at the starting of December and not too long ago lost its production designer and chief supervising art director. The film has now gone more than price range, and there is some speculation as to no matter if the film can in fact be completed.

Coppola has gone on to deny these rumors stating 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 also denied the rumors saying:

“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 March 30, 2020, Coppola revealed on Instagram that filming for Megalopolis had wrapped.