‘Megalopolis’, the film that cost Francis Ford Coppola $120 million and could threaten his personal fortune

The latest film project from the acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola, Megalopolisarises as a a significant failure at the box officeputting the filmmaker’s personal fortune at risk.

The film, which premiered last Friday, It is expected to earn between $5 million and $7 million in its opening weekend, which is an alarmingly low number compared to the previous year more than 120 million that Coppola invested in its production.

Megalopolisdescribed by Coppola as “A Roman Empire epic set in modern America”, is a story that the director has been following for almost four decades.

To finance this ambitious production, he shut down his own wine businessthereby risking a large part of his personal wealth.

“I have everything to lose here“Coppola confessed in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. “And somehow I have nothing left to lose“.

A film that stands out for the stellar cast it includes Adam the driver, Aubrey Plaza and Nathalie Emmanuelhas garnered mixed reviews since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Some have described it as a unique and ambitious work, while others have described it as “a spectacular disaster“.

Even the filming was not without controversy. Tension was reported on set and allegations of inappropriate behavior by Francis Ford Coppola towards the extras, accusations that the director categorically rejects.

“It’s completely fakeCoppola claimed the allegations were part of an attempt to “damage the film” ahead of its Cannes premiere.

Genesis Megalopolis It comes from the end of the 70s, when the director started collecting ideas for clippings.

“I started saving clippings of things that interested me: things I read in the newspaper, (quotes from) books, political cartoons,” the director explained.

This compilation of ideas took place over decades and gradually evolved into the concept of the modern Roman epic.

Despite the adversity, he remains optimistic about the future of film. “I think people will go see it because if nothing else they want to see it for themselves, which I think is a good thing,” he said.

The filmmaker has faced similar issues in his career, including difficulties while filming Apocalypse now.

He also thought about how this project could affect his legacy and his future in the industry. “If there is any wealth left here, I want it to be some kind of grant for young filmmakers in our family foundation“, he expressed himself.

megalopolis”represents for Coppola more than just a movie; It is an attempt to start a dialogue about the future of society. “I made this film to contribute to that. AND all i want is for this movie to start a conversation. “You can’t have utopia without conversation,” he concluded.

Commercial failure Megalopolis may challenge your ability to continue funding large-scale personal projects. However, the director is already working on two new projects, which, despite financial failures, demonstrate his unwavering passion for cinematography.

One of these projects is Distant visionwhich describes how “the story of three generations of an Italian-American family like mine, but fictionalized, during which the phenomenon of television was invented.” The director hopes to use the proceeds to finance his next film work Megalopolis.

Trajectory Francis Ford Coppolanoted successes such as Godfather and Apocalypse nowit was a rollercoaster of triumphs and failures. Megalopolis It seems to be the last chapter of this story.

Despite disappointing reviews and box office projections, he remains steadfast in his vision. “Cinema is change“, he assured. “The movies your grandchildren will make won’t be like what we see now.”