Megalopolis 2024

Movie · 138 min · English · May 16, 2024

Directed by Francis Ford CoppolaWritten by Francis Ford Coppola

Starring Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf

A 2024 American epic science fiction drama film, Megalopolis is written, directed, and produced by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie includes an ensemble cast featuring Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal making her feature film debut, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D. B. Sweeney, and Dustin Hoffman. The story unfolds in an alternate 21st-century New York City reimagined as "New Rome". It centers on visionary architect Cesar Catilina (Driver), who comes into conflict with the corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Esposito). Cicero resists Catilina's plans to transform New Rome into a futuristic utopia called "Megalopolis." The film is inspired by Roman history, especially the Catilinarian conspiracy of 63 BC and the decline of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

In 1977, Coppola conceived an idea to create a movie that draws comparisons between the fall of the Roman Republic and the future of the United States. The plan was to retell the Catilinarian conspiracy within modern New York. Although he started developing the film in 1983, it lingered for decades through various stages of development. Coppola tried to produce the project in 1989 and again in 2001, but studios rejected both attempts due to Coppola's late-career box-office failures and the September 11 attacks respectively. Disappointed by the studio system, Coppola waited until he accumulated significant wealth from winemaking before taking on Megalopolis. He invested $120million of his own funds into making the film. Principal filming occurred in Georgia between November 2022 and March 2023.

The production brought together several collaborators from past works, including actors Esposito, Fishburne, Remar, Shire, and Sweeney, cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare Jr., composer Osvaldo Golijov, and Coppola's son, second-unit director Roman Coppola. Like many of Coppola’s previous projects, Megalopolis faced production difficulties. He adopted an experimental approach, encouraging actors to improvise and write specific scenes during filming, as well as introducing last-minute script changes. Some members of the art department and visual effects team left or were dismissed from the film.

Megalopolis was chosen to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, though it stirred divided opinions among critics and Hollywood studios. Coppola struggled to secure a studio willing to cover his production expenses and fund a major marketing push. He decided to fund an advertising campaign himself, with Lionsgate handling the theatrical release in the United States. The film had a troubled buildup to its debut: a trailer was taken down for using fake pull quotes, and Coppola filed a lawsuit against trade publication Variety after it reported allegations of sexual misconduct by him on set. It premiered at Cannes on May 16, 2024, and opened theatrically in the U.S. on September 27, 2024. The movie failed commercially, earning $14.4million compared to its budget ranging from $120 to $136 million.

Multiple sources report that critical reviews were divided, with some praising the film’s ambition, originality, and visual style while others found it chaotic and inconsistent. Critics also split sharply on the acting and narrative quality.