This information was provided by Mike Fleming Jr. from the website “Deadline”, who was also present at the show. “Megalopolis” was shown at the Universal CityWalk Hollywood cinema in the IMAX format. According to the journalist, the entire screening lasted two hours and thirteen minutes without end credits.
Fleming Jr. he couldn't write anything about the quality of the work. He noted, however, that the film has ambitious assumptions and is full of ideas. The director uses both classic narrative techniques and completely innovative ones.
The plot focuses on a metropolis resembling New York, which is hit by a terrible cataclysm. Then there is a dispute resulting from different visions of the future. One side is represented by architect Caesar (Adam Driver), the other by mayor Frank Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). Julie (Nathalie Emmanuel), the politician's daughter, stands between the men.
The show was attended by, among others, Angelica Huston, Nicolas Cage, Andy Garcia, Spike Jonze, Al Pacino, Jon Favreau, Colleen Camp, Roger Corman, Darren Aronofsky and Cailee Spaeny, as well as Shia LaBeouf and Talia Shire, who starred in “Megalopolis”.
Before the screening Coppola sent a message to the invitees. Its content was written on the cards dealt. “Dear Friends, as you have already heard from me before: I believe in America,” the director began, referring to the famous dialogue with “The Godfather”.
“If I could leave you with one thought after watching my latest film, let it be this: Our founders borrowed the Constitution, Roman law, and the Senate to create a revolutionary government without a king. American history would not have happened or succeeded without classical teachings. who led it,” he concluded.
Coppola directed, wrote and self-financed Megalopolis. The film's budget was approximately $120 million. It starred Adam Driver, 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. However, the director emphasized that he would decide on festival screenings only after finding a distributor.