Although legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola is still trying to find a distributor for his decades-in-the-making new drama, “Megalopolis,” we finally have our first official look at “The Godfather” director’s brand new epic sci-fi-ish drama via Vanity Fair. It’s Coppola’s first feature-length film in nearly thirteen years, following 2011’s experimental “Twixt.”
Released via Vanity Fair, the first look from the film reveals Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel scanning the horizon atop a building in a futuristic-looking New York City,
Written and produced by Coppola, the “Apocalypse Now” filmmaker first came up with the idea for the ambitious epic back in 1979 before actively developing the project in 1983. However, the film underwent many delays, and Coppola went on to other projects, though always seemingly keeping it in the back of his mind. Coppola managed to revive the film from its dormant cinematic burial ground in 2019, finally bringing it to life by spending a reported $120 million of his own money to get it off the ground.
In the piece, Coppola says Driver’s character has the “power to stop time,” while Emmanuel’s character is “forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.”
“Megalopolis” has reportedly come close to a French distribution deal with the indie banner Le Pacte, but no such agreement for North America has surfaced.
The synopsis for the film floating around online reads:
An accident destroys a New York City-like metropolis already in decay. Caesar, an idealist, aims to rebuild the city as a sustainable utopia, while the venal mayor, Frank Cicero, has other plans. Coming between the opposing men and their visions is Frank’s socialite daughter, Julia. Tired of the attention and power she was born with, Julia searches for her life’s meaning.
“Megalopolis” features an all-star cast consisting of Adam Driver in the lead role of Caesar, alongside Nathalie Emmanuel (“Game Of Thrones”), Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Schwartzman, Grace VanderWaal, Kathryn Hunter, Talia Shire, Dustin Hoffman, and D.B. Sweeney to name just a few.
READ MORE: Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ To Debut At Cannes Amid Reports Of Buyer Wary
“The seeds for Megalopolis were planted when, as a kid, I saw H.G. Wells’ “Things to Come,” Coppola explained about its key influences. “This 1930s Korda classic is about building the world of tomorrow and has always been with me, first as the ‘boy scientist’ I was and later as a filmmaker.”
“Megalopolis” is scheduled to debut at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May, and presumably, this is where North American distributors and suitors will surface. Take a look at the first look below.
