Francis Ford Coppolais doing things his way in the trailer for his sci-fi epicMegalopolis.
“True genius is often misunderstood,” the narrator explains in the opening moments. The first 45 seconds of footage are dedicated to the negative reviews Coppola’s most famous films received, includingThe Godfather,Apocalypse Now, andBram Stoker’s Dracula. Memorable quotes from critics flash on the screen for the three films. Pauline Kael of The New Yorker describedThe Godfatheras “diminished by its artsiness,” while Rex Reed of The Daily News calledApocalypse Nowan “epic piece of trash.”
After the trip down memory lane, theMegalopolistrailer cuts to Adam Driver’s Cesar Catilina manipulating time on top of a skyscraper. Cesar wishes to update the City of New Rome in an imagined Modern America. Cesar’s vision conflicts with Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who fosters a city of greed and partisan warfare. Stuck between the two forces is Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar leaves her with a difficult choice.
“There’s still so much to accomplish, but is there time?” Cesar ponders in thetrailer’s final moments.
Megalopolisalso stars Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Kathryn Hunter, and Dustin Hoffman.
Megalopolisis Coppola’s passion project, originally conceived in 1977. Coppola is the writer and director ofMegalopolis,producing alongside Barry Hirsch, Fred Roos, and Michael Bederman. Without the backing of a major studio, Coppola self-financed the $120 million budget through his production company, American Zoetrope.
Megalopolispremiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Critics were divided onMegalopolis, with many praising the ambitious nature while questioning the confusing story.
In June, Coppola agreed to a deal withLionsgate Filmsfor domestic distribution rights, thoughThe Godfatherdirector will pay for marketing costs.
