Coppola has been developing “Megalopolis” for four decades. After subsequent studios refused, the director decided to finance the film himself. Filming took place in 2022 and 2023.
Plot details are being kept secret. According to unconfirmed rumors, the story will depict a futuristic society based on the Roman Empire. The main character will be Caesar (played by Adam Driver), an architect who must reconcile his idealism with the requirements of the authorities.
In an interview for “The Face”, Driver talked about working with Coppola. The actor believes that it is difficult to assign “Megalopolis” to a specific genre. “It's an uncategorizable thing, which may sound very general until you see the movie. Then my answer will seem perfect.”
Driver also added that his character's philosophy and struggles are reminiscent of Coppola's. “He's a visionary” – this is how the actor described his hero. “He's very much like Francis, in the sense that he looks for every way to do something and doesn't stick to just one predetermined direction. That's what interests me about him – and at the same time, he's like Francis.”
Coppola also wrote the screenplay for “Megalopolis”. The film's budget was approximately $120 million. In addition to Driver, it starred Nathalie Emmanuel, Forest Whitaker, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishbourne, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LeBeouf, Jason Schwartzman, Giancarlo Esposito and Dustin Hoffman. The film will hit theaters at the end of 2024. It is speculated that it will be shown earlier during one of the European festivals – in Cannes or Venice.