Unlike his fellow ‘70s movie brats Martin Scorcese and Steven Spielberg, it’s been many years since Frances Ford Coppola has had a definitive hit in Hollywood. He’s yet to achieve a kind of career resurgence ala Scorcese, and has struggled to produce consistent, quality work like Spielberg.
Yet, still, maybe this all turns around with “Megalopolis.” After securing a distribution deal with Lionsgate Films (that had him putting up 20 million dollars of his own money), as well as an agreement with IMAX to have a limited release, it looks like moviegoers will get a chance to see the $100 million dollar, personally financed, epic that divided audiences in its initial premiere at Cannes.
READ MORE: Lionsgate To Release Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ In The U.S. In September
What makes this movie different? For one, the cast is probably the most mainstream selection of actors Coppola has had in one of his movies in a long time. The cast includes Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, 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. The movie is written, directed and produced by Coppola. Executive Producers include Barrie M. Osborne (“The Matrix,” “Lord of the Rings”) and Darren M. Demetre (“Bad Words,” “The Bling Ring”).
“Megalopolis” follows an architect, Cesar Catilina (Driver), who wants to rebuild a city called New Rome as a utopia after a devastating disaster. In his way is a corrupt mayor named Franklyn Cicero (Esposito) who wants to keep things status quo. Between them is Cicero’s daughter Julia (Emmanuel), who is in love with Cesar.
Here’s the synopsis:
Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.
Lionsgate Films will release “Megalopolis” in theaters on September 27. You can watch the trailer below: