Looks like Francis Ford Coppola’s new movie Megalopolis is going to have a bit of a tough time making its way to cinemas…
Despite the sci-fi drama being directed by The Godfather helmer, and starring Giancarlo Esposito, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Dustin Hoffman, and Adam Driver, the likes of Sony, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Disney are reportedly not too sure about its distribution due to its “experimental” nature.
The film screened for studio heads such as Ted Sarandos, Pam Abdy, and David Greenbaum back on March 28, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, none so far have registered interest in acquiring the rights, with many suggesting it’s going to be “an enormously hard sell to a wide audience”.
“There is just no way to position this movie,” one attendee supposedly told the publication, as another explained: “Everyone is rooting for Francis and feels nostalgic. But then there is the business side of things.”
“It’s so not good, and it was so sad watching it,” one studio head allegedly claimed. “Anybody who puts [prints and advertising] behind it, you’re going to lose money. This is not how Coppola should end his directing career.”
“Does it wobble, wander, go all over the place? Yes,” confessed one more. “But it’s really imaginative and does say something about our time. I think it’s going to be a small, specialized label [that picks it up].”
Also featuring Jason Schwartzman, Grace VanderWaal, Kathryn Hunter, Talia Shire, D. B. Sweeney, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, and Shia LaBeouf, Megalopolis centers on a young woman torn between her father, an old-fashioned mayor, and her forward-thinking architect lover, as they clash on how best to rebuild New York City after a devastating disaster. It is said to have cost a sizeable $120 million to make and was entirely self-funded by Coppola, who has been writing variations of the script since 1983, following the sale of a significant portion of his winery business.
For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies heading our way.
