2024’s Biggest Flop Is Getting a Makeover: The Director Announces a Recut and Promises Even More Weirdness Ahead

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Last year, as a movie enthusiast, I was thrilled when Francis Ford Coppola, the iconic director known for masterpieces such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, unveiled his ambitious science fiction project, Megalopolis. This film, revolving around a visionary architect and a morally questionable politician battling to reconstruct a post-apocalyptic city, appeared daring. However, the response it received was not as favorable as Coppola anticipated.

Coppola personally invested $120 million for the production of Megalopolis, hoping to receive a significant award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Initially, the response was primarily puzzlement as major production companies declined to fund the film. However, Lionsgate eventually took up the project and premiered it in cinemas in May 2025. Despite running for 138 minutes, the movie earned a modest $7 million at the box office. Later, Lionsgate withdrew the film from theaters and reclaimed the rights from Coppola. Since then, there has been no Blu-ray release, no streaming agreement, and even Amazon’s rental listing indicates that the rights have expired.

However, ever the visionary and entertainer, Coppola hasn’t yet concluded his work on Megalopolis. At 85 years of age, he’s partnering with Live Nation to exhibit the film in movie theaters nationwide as a unique event.

At these events, you’ll find interactive Q&A discussions and live musical performances. Our initial destination was New Jersey, where Coppola engaged in a lengthy talk spanning various subjects. He also hinted at his intention to re-edit the film, aiming to make it more peculiar.

Coppola expressed his intention to reintegrate surreal scenes that were initially removed, citing audience feedback that deemed the film “strange.” He also asserted, “The movie was even stranger originally. Since I own the rights, I have the freedom to modify it as desired.” It remains undecided whether this revised version will be screened during the ongoing tour.

It’s quite remarkable that tickets for Megalopolis are almost all gone across various locations. There are still a handful of seats left for screenings in Denver, Dallas, and San Francisco. A film that was once the subject of light-hearted jokes has transformed into an unmissable cinematic experience, captivating movie enthusiasts and the curious alike.

In simple terms, “Megalopolis” is a 2024 American sci-fi drama. This movie was created, guided, and brought to life by Coppola himself. The main characters are Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina, an innovative architect, and Giancarlo Esposito as Franklyn Cicero, a morally questionable mayor who opposes Catilina’s ambition to transform New York into a futuristic ideal city named “Megalopolis.” The narrative is influenced by the history of ancient Rome, particularly the Catilinarian conspiracy of 63 BC and the downfall of the Roman Republic.

In 1977, Coppola conceived a concept for a movie that aimed to draw parallels between the decline of Rome and the potential fate of America by recreating the Catilinarian conspiracy in contemporary New York City. He began outlining his vision in 1983, but encountered numerous setbacks. Attempts to produce the film in 1989 and 2001 fell through due to studios’ reluctance, stemming initially from Coppola’s financial troubles at the box office and later due to the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Fed up with Hollywood, Coppola ultimately financed the film using his own wealth accumulated from his wine-making business. Filming took place in Georgia between late 2022 and early 2023.

Economically speaking, Megalopolis struggled significantly. It generated approximately $14.3 million globally, but when accounting for all expenses and income, it’s reported that the film lost a substantial $75.5 million as per Deadline Hollywood. Coincidentally, Megalopolis premiered in the U.S. alongside The Wild Robot. Initial forecasts suggested that the movie might earn anywhere from $4 to $8 million across more than 1,800 theaters nationwide, including IMAX screens.

Nonetheless, Coppola’s latest work has received mixed opinions, his limited directorial output over the past decade (just two films), and a contentious promotional strategy have hampered its potential success. The marketing effort drew criticism due to misbehavior accusations against Coppola and the withdrawal of a trailer for employing fabricated quotations.

As a passionate admirer, I must share that upon the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, only about 45% of 299 critics gave Megalopolis a thumbs-up, averaging a score of 4.8 out of 10. The site’s synopsis portrayed it as more of a creative manifesto rather than a cohesive cinematic tale, labeling it an “overstuffed opus that’s equally captivating and chaotic.

The movie received a 55/100 rating on Metacritic, indicating a mix of positive and negative reviews from critics. However, the audience’s response was less favorable; CinemaScore gave it a “D+” grade, while PostTrak reported only 45% of viewers had positive reactions to it.

As a dedicated cinephile, I can’t help but express my anticipation for Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious project, Megalopolis, which, despite an initial bumpy ride, remains unfinished. The legendary director is tirelessly working to redefine the movie, assuring us it will only get more eccentric. For me and fellow movie enthusiasts, the opportunity to hear Coppola discuss his vision for this film and its future is a priceless, electrifying experience that doesn’t come around often.

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2025-07-24 10:44