Megalopolis: Francis Ford Coppola’s rollercoaster ride into Sci-Fi madness (trailer).
Brace yourselves, dear readers of SFcrowsnest, because Francis Ford Coppola, the mastermind behind The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, is back with a vengeance. His latest magnum opus, Megalopolis, is set to hit screens in 2024, and it’s already causing quite a stir. Imagine Metropolis meets Caligula with a dash of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead thrown in for good measure. Buckle up for a wild ride through this ambitious sci-fi epic that’s as bewildering as it is audacious.
A Plot Only Coppola Could Dream Up
In an imagined modern America post-devastation, Megalopolis introduces us to New Rome, a decaying metropolis ripe for a dramatic overhaul. Enter Cesar Catilina (played by the ever-intense Adam Driver), a visionary architect with the power to stop time. Yes, you read that correctly—he can literally stop time. Cesar aims to rebuild the city into a sustainable utopia, but standing in his way is the corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (the inimitable Giancarlo Esposito), who prefers to keep things stuck in the muck of regressive politics. Torn between these titans is Franklyn’s daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who’s on a quest for meaning beyond her inherited influence.
A Cast to Die For… or Die From Exhaustion
The ensemble cast reads like a Hollywood fever dream: Aubrey Plaza as a financial news presenter named Wow Platinum (because why not?), Shia LaBeouf as Cesar’s cousin Clodio Pulcher, and Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III, Cesar’s wealthy uncle. Let’s not forget Laurence Fishburne narrating the madness as Fundi Romaine, Cesar’s driver and assistant. Throw in Dustin Hoffman as the fixer Nush Berman, and you’ve got a veritable who’s who of Tinseltown ready to play in Coppola’s sandbox.
The Long and Winding Road to Production
Coppola first dreamed up Megalopolis back in 1977, and it’s been a long, winding road filled with more delays and cancellations than a low-budget indie film festival. After decades of development hell, Coppola revived the project in 2019, plunking down a whopping $120 million of his own money. Filming finally kicked off in November 2022 and wrapped in March 2023. Talk about a passion project!
From Table Reads to Tapestries
The journey included table reads with an array of stars who could make any film buff’s heart skip a beat—Nicolas Cage, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Pacino—the list goes on. But as with all things Coppola, nothing about this film was straightforward. The director’s vision of a “gigantic opera” required meticulous detail, with influences ranging from Roman history to modern dystopian tales.
Chaos on Set? No Problem!
Reports from the set described an environment that was less Hollywood efficiency and more “artistic chaos.” Coppola’s old-school approach had him improvising scenes and allegedly sparking tensions with a revolving door of crew members. Firing most of the visual effects team mid-production? Check. Blowing through his budget and dealing with walkouts from disgruntled department heads? Double-check. Despite the chaos, or perhaps because of it, Coppola plowed ahead, determined to bring his vision to life.
A Polarizing Premiere at Cannes
Megapocalypse—sorry, Megalopolis—premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, and let’s just say reactions were mixed. Critics were divided, with some hailing it as a visionary masterpiece and others scratching their heads in bewilderment. Adam Driver’s portrayal of the time-stopping architect received praise, while the film’s commercial viability was hotly debated. One thing’s for sure: Coppola knows how to stir up a conversation.
What to Expect: Utopian Dreams or Dystopian Nightmares?
So, what can we expect from Megalopolis when it hits theatres? A grand, sprawling epic that melds past, present, and future in a tapestry of ambition, greed, and visionary madness. It’s Coppola doing what Coppola does best—pushing the boundaries of cinema, for better or worse.
Whether you walk away amazed or confused, Megalopolis promises to be a cinematic experience like no other. So, grab your popcorn, suspend your disbelief, and prepare for a journey into the heart of Francis Ford Coppola’s most ambitious project yet. After all, in a world where an architect can stop time, anything is possible.
