Francis Ford Coppola almost traded his soul for his most ambitious project Megalopolis which he had been developing since the 1980s, has finally come to fruition. The legendary director self-financed the movie with a huge portion of money to fulfill his long-time dream of making his final opus. Now, the movie has a distributor but there’s a catch which will cost the director even more money.
Lionsgate Will Distribute Megalopolis
Nathalie Emmanuel and Adam Driver in Megalopolis. Image Credit: Mihai Malaimare – © 2024 – American Zoetrope
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis has endured developmental hell but the movie is still not out of the danger zone. Of course, the legendary director does not have to satisfy anyone financially but as Lionsgate agreed to distribute the movie, the studio reportedly has a huge condition.
Coppola’s $120 million passion project was without a distributor when the movie was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie, despite the visionary director’s passion project and brilliant casting, failed to be certified fresh at Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel, the movie certainly created a buzz among fans before the premiere but the charm of the movie is seemingly deeming and Lionsgate has left the job to regain the charm on Coppola’s shoulders.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate will put Megalopolis on 1,500 screens in the United States. However, sources associated with the distribution business told the outlet that around $15 million to $20 million is still required for the project in marketing. However, Lionsgate will not pay for the marketing cost. So, the director has to pay for the additional costs of the movie before hitting the theatres.
Does Francis Ford Coppola Regret Making Megalopolis With Enoroumus Money?
Adam Driver in Megalopolis. Image Credit: American Zoetrope
It is possible that with the additional marketing cost, Coppola would have to spend close to $150 million and Megalopolis would have to earn more than double to see a profit. However, for the director, who has been an auteur, the movie has always been a passion project which undergone several developmental stages throughout the years.
But it was the brave and bold move of the industry veteran for which the movie saw the light of day. “That’s me making this film,” Coppola told AP after the premiere of the movie at Cannes. “To all of the studio big shots, I proved that I’m free and they’re not. Because they don’t dare leap into the unknown. And I do. That’s the only way to prove that you’re free.” But was the project worth it with all the money attached to sweat and tears? Coppola got real and said, “I don’t recommend it.”
Of course, the director has nothing to regret, he had to make the movie in his lifetime as he has long dreamt of the project. So, after the observations of the director’s interviews on the movie, it is fair to justify that Coppola has no regret in making the movie despite the average reactions from the critics. Still, his dystopian sci-fi received a seven-minute-long standing ovation at the premiere. Megalopolis, Coppola’s first film in 13 years, also stars Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D. B. Sweeney, and Dustin Hoffman.
Will Megalopolis Hit Any Streamer?
It’s unlikely that Megalopolis will hit any streamer even after the theatrical release. Previously, Deadline reported that Coppola withheld the television and VOD rights from buyers. When the outlet asked the director about the movie’s streaming possibilities, he said, “Since I took the risk, I want to own that, which I do, so I’m not interested in selling that to someone else. I want to be able to control it.”
So, it’s hard to expect the upcoming Coppola sci-fi to hit any streamer.
Megalopolis is slated for 27 September 2024 release.
