Good news for Francis Ford Coppola earlier this week, as Lionsgate stepped up to snag distribution rights for his self-financed “Megalopolis.” But THR reports there’s a catch to the Lionsgate deal for FFC: the 85-year-old will need to spend up to $20 million in marketing for the film’s theatrical release. That’s on top of the $120 million Coppola already spent to finance his passion project in the first place.
READ MORE: ‘Megalopolis’ Review: Francis Ford Coppola’s Epic Is A Madman’s Fever Dream [Cannes]
If Lionsgate gets “Megalopolis” on more than 1,500 screens this Fall as planned, Coppola would need to spend ~$15-20 million in marketing to match distribution. That puts a potential total cost of the film for Coppola at $140 million; a hefty pricetag for a long-gestating magnum opus. But that shouldn’t dissuade Coppola from fronting the cost. He remains steadfast about getting “Megalopolis” in theaters despite divisive reviews for the film out of its world premiere at Cannes. IMAX already made a deal to showcase the film at the festival in May, but it took almost another month for Lionsgate to make their distribution deal.
Now the main question is whether Lionsgate showcases “Megapolis” as Coppola wants it to be seen. The world premiere wowed audiences with a metatextual touch: an actor playing a reporter stood up during the screening to ask questions to Adam Driver‘s onscreen character during the film. So will Lionsgate provide actors at every single one of the film’s screenings to play that role? THR reports, yes, when it’s possible, which indicates the studio is as all-in on this release FFC is. That’s not a total surprise, as the director and Lionsgate have a longstanding relationship on home releases of Coppola’s films.
Money is obviously no object to Coppola when it comes to “Megalopolis” hitting theaters. But will it pay off for the American auteur? Hollywood execs bristled at the film at an early preview screening in March, and some critics out of Cannes met it with outright pans. With an additional $20 million in marketing fees, it looks likely that this long-gestating epic may not break even (and that was already an outside shot). But hand it to Mr. Coppola: he has a vision and’ll see it through to the end in the most uncompromising fashion possible. Hats off to him for that alone.
“Megalopolis” hit theaters on September 27. Watch a short clip from the film below.