Lionsgate continues its relationship with Francis Ford Coppola by agreeing to distribute the filmmaker’s latest epic, Megalopolis.
Despite receiving divisive reactions at the Cannes Film Festival, Lionsgate is ready to risk it for the biscuit with Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. Lionsgate is bringing Coppola’s science-fiction drama to theaters in the United States and Canada, says Adam Fogelson, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. The deal spins out of Lionsgate’s existing relationship with Coppola’s banner Zoetrope Studios after Lionsgate distributed Coppola’s Apocalypse Now Final Cut, The Conversation, The Colton Club Encore, The Man and His Dream, and One From the Heart: Reprise. Megalopolis will be released in domestic theaters and IMAX on September 27, 2024.
In Megalopolis, an architect (Adam Driver) wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.
Here’s the official synopsis for Megalopolis courtesy of Lionsgate:
“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.”
Speaking about the opportunity to bring Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis to domestic cinemas, Fogelson said, “Francis is a legend. For many of us, his gifts to cinema were one of the inspirations to devote our own careers to film. It is a true privilege to work with him, and to bring this incredible, audacious, and utterly unique movie to theatrical audiences. At Lionsgate, we strive to be a home for bold and daring artists, and Megalopolis proves there is no one more bold or daring than the maestro, Francis Ford Coppola.”
Coppola added, “One rule of business I’ve always followed and prioritized (to my benefit) is to continue working with companies and teams who over time have proven to be good friends as well as great collaborators. This is why I am thrilled to have Adam Fogelson and Lionsgate Studios release Megalopolis. I am confident they will apply the same tender love and care given to Apocalypse Now, which is currently in its 45th year of astounding revenue and appreciation.”
“Utterly unique” could be an understatement. Early reviews for Megalopolis say Coppola’s self-financed film is as divisive as it gets. According to David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter, Megalopolis is “windy and overstuffed, frequently baffling and way too talky.” However, Rooney also says the film is “often amusing, playful, visually stunning, and illuminated by a touching hope for humanity.” If nothing else, Megalopolis sounds like a film people should see and form their own opinion of.
Meanwhile, Deadline’s Damon Wise thinks, “Megalopolis is something of a mess; unruly, exaggerated, and drawn to pretention like a moth to a flame.” Still, Wise injected positivity into his review by saying the film is “a pretty stunning achievement, and the work of a master artist.”
Megalopolis boasts a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Chloe Fineman, Kathryn Hunter, Dustin Hoffman, DB Sweeney, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Bailey Ives, Grace Vanderwaal, and James Remar.
Are you interested in seeing Megalopolis? Are you glad Lionsgate is stepping up to the distribution plate? I admit that the more people present Megalopolis as a head-scratching epic of questionable quality, the more I want to see it. How about you? Let us know in the comments section below.