The producer of Destry Allyn Spielberg’s feature film debut said Thursday that the production has paid its debts to its vendors in New Mexico.
The film, “Please Don’t Feed the Children,” wrapped production last fall, but still owed about $200,000 to various rental houses. The vendors were told several times over the last five months that they would be paid shortly, but those promises went unfulfilled.
In a statement on Thursday, producer Jason Dubin announced that the production had received an investment from Kim and Atty Cleworth, which will allow for completion of the film.
“As of today, every single New Mexico vendor that worked on ‘Please Don’t Feed The Children’ has been issued payment,” Dubin said. “We deeply regret the delay in getting these funds to the incredible artisans of Santa Fe and throughout New Mexico who gave their time and talent to this production.”
One of the vendors...
The film, “Please Don’t Feed the Children,” wrapped production last fall, but still owed about $200,000 to various rental houses. The vendors were told several times over the last five months that they would be paid shortly, but those promises went unfulfilled.
In a statement on Thursday, producer Jason Dubin announced that the production had received an investment from Kim and Atty Cleworth, which will allow for completion of the film.
“As of today, every single New Mexico vendor that worked on ‘Please Don’t Feed The Children’ has been issued payment,” Dubin said. “We deeply regret the delay in getting these funds to the incredible artisans of Santa Fe and throughout New Mexico who gave their time and talent to this production.”
One of the vendors...
- 5/23/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Chloe Fineman’s IMDb page just keeps growing.
Less than a week after walking the red carpet at Cannes alongside Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, and Aubrey Plaza—her co-stars in Francis Ford Coppola’s long-simmering passion project Megalopolis—the Saturday Night Live star has gotten Laid.
According to a new Deadline report, Fineman is among the impressive list of guest stars who have signed onto the upcoming Peacock project, which stars Stephanie Hsu, Zosia Mamet, and Michael Angarano.
The comedy series, which Deadline says has been “described as a f*cked-up rom-com,” is based on the Australian series of the same name. It follows the adventures of a young woman (Hsu) who is shocked to learn that her exes are dying in a series of bizarre ways, so she attempts to reconstruct her full sex timeline in order to save those who remain.
Continue reading <i>SNL</i>’s Chloe...
Less than a week after walking the red carpet at Cannes alongside Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, and Aubrey Plaza—her co-stars in Francis Ford Coppola’s long-simmering passion project Megalopolis—the Saturday Night Live star has gotten Laid.
According to a new Deadline report, Fineman is among the impressive list of guest stars who have signed onto the upcoming Peacock project, which stars Stephanie Hsu, Zosia Mamet, and Michael Angarano.
The comedy series, which Deadline says has been “described as a f*cked-up rom-com,” is based on the Australian series of the same name. It follows the adventures of a young woman (Hsu) who is shocked to learn that her exes are dying in a series of bizarre ways, so she attempts to reconstruct her full sex timeline in order to save those who remain.
Continue reading <i>SNL</i>’s Chloe...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jennifer M. Wood
- LateNighter
Exclusive: Francis Ford Coppola‘s $120 million passion project Megalopolis has closed a fresh raft of deals following its buzzy world premiere in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival last week.
It has sold to Australia (Madman Entertainment), Benelux (September Films), Bulgaria (Profilm), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe), Ex- Yugoslavia (McF Megacom Film), Greece (Feelgood Entertainment), Hungary (Mozinet), Israel (Lev Cinemas), Morocco (Facility Event), Portugal (Midas Filmes) Romania (Independenta Film), Scandinavia (Njutafilms) and Turkey (Bir Film).
They join five top distributors who acquired the film prior to its world premiere on May 16: Constantin Film for Germany and all German-speaking territories, including Switzerland and Austria; Eagle Pictures for Italy; Tripictures for Spain; Entertainment Film Distributors Limited for the U.K., and Le Pacte for France.
Coppola’s long-time lawyer Barry Hirsch and Vincent Maraval, president of Goodfellas (ex-Wild Bunch International), brokered the new Megalopolis deals. They are also in...
It has sold to Australia (Madman Entertainment), Benelux (September Films), Bulgaria (Profilm), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe), Ex- Yugoslavia (McF Megacom Film), Greece (Feelgood Entertainment), Hungary (Mozinet), Israel (Lev Cinemas), Morocco (Facility Event), Portugal (Midas Filmes) Romania (Independenta Film), Scandinavia (Njutafilms) and Turkey (Bir Film).
They join five top distributors who acquired the film prior to its world premiere on May 16: Constantin Film for Germany and all German-speaking territories, including Switzerland and Austria; Eagle Pictures for Italy; Tripictures for Spain; Entertainment Film Distributors Limited for the U.K., and Le Pacte for France.
Coppola’s long-time lawyer Barry Hirsch and Vincent Maraval, president of Goodfellas (ex-Wild Bunch International), brokered the new Megalopolis deals. They are also in...
- 5/22/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
While we never got to see Peter losing Uncle Ben in the MCU, which makes sense as it has been done to death in other iterations, No Way Home did leave fans teary-eyed with Aunt May’s demise. Although heartbreaking for sure, this could be regarded as this version of Peter’s canon event, as her death and Nwh‘s ending set the path for a more traditional Spider-Man story moving forward.
However, per new reports, it seems this wasn’t the last of Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May in the MCU, as Spider-Man 4 is reportedly planning to bring her back in some form.
Aunt May to Return in Spider-Man 4 per Reports
A still from Spider-Man: Homecoming | Sony Pictures Releasing
While there was a gap of two years between each Spider-Man feature in the Homecoming trilogy, a release date for the next one is yet to be revealed.
However, per new reports, it seems this wasn’t the last of Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May in the MCU, as Spider-Man 4 is reportedly planning to bring her back in some form.
Aunt May to Return in Spider-Man 4 per Reports
A still from Spider-Man: Homecoming | Sony Pictures Releasing
While there was a gap of two years between each Spider-Man feature in the Homecoming trilogy, a release date for the next one is yet to be revealed.
- 5/22/2024
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire
Artificial Intelligence is taking over the world slowly but surely. Many people have started losing their jobs because they are being replaced left and right by AI systems which seem to do hours of work in a few seconds. Needless to say, AI is as much a bane as it is a boon. Steven Spielberg was one of the first to give an insight into a world with advanced AI in his 2001 film A.I. Artificial Intelligence.
Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) | DreamWorks Pictures
In a recent interview, Malcolm X colleagues Spike Lee and Giancarlo Esposito opened up about artificial intelligence and the danger it poses to both the film industry and the world. While Spike Lee admitted that A.I. Artificial Intelligence was his introduction to AI, Giancarlo Esposito was firm in his belief that no matter how much technology advances, you will never be able to replace the “soulfulness” of human beings.
Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) | DreamWorks Pictures
In a recent interview, Malcolm X colleagues Spike Lee and Giancarlo Esposito opened up about artificial intelligence and the danger it poses to both the film industry and the world. While Spike Lee admitted that A.I. Artificial Intelligence was his introduction to AI, Giancarlo Esposito was firm in his belief that no matter how much technology advances, you will never be able to replace the “soulfulness” of human beings.
- 5/22/2024
- by Mishkaat Khan
- FandomWire
Francis Ford Coppola is best known for his work on The Godfather trilogy. The accomplished filmmaker is one of the era-defining filmmakers of the 70s up to the 90s, where he made some of the best works of his career. Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders, Peggy Sue Got Married, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and The Rainmaker were some of his other great works.
Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in Megalopolis | American Zoetrope
The director is coming up with his next ambitious film, Megalopolis, his return as a director after almost 14 years. The film was recently screened at Cannes, with the cast and Coppola talking about the movie at a press conference. The director spoke about how he was able to self-finance the film after selling off his successful winery that he started in 2008.
Francis Ford Coppola Started His Own Winery Chain That Helped Fund Megalopolis Francis Ford Coppola started his winery...
Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in Megalopolis | American Zoetrope
The director is coming up with his next ambitious film, Megalopolis, his return as a director after almost 14 years. The film was recently screened at Cannes, with the cast and Coppola talking about the movie at a press conference. The director spoke about how he was able to self-finance the film after selling off his successful winery that he started in 2008.
Francis Ford Coppola Started His Own Winery Chain That Helped Fund Megalopolis Francis Ford Coppola started his winery...
- 5/22/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Giancarlo Esposito has gained the reputation of perfectly encapsulating the essence of complex antagonistic characters in films and TV. He gained enormous popularity as the intimidating and committed drug kingpin Gus Fring. The actor earned numerous accolades and awards for playing the character in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Giancarlo Esposito as Stan Edgar in The Boys | Amazon Studios
He has continued playing compelling grey characters in other shows like The Boys and The Mandalorian. Esposito recently revealed that he would be joining the MCU in a role that fans would be surprised by. A scooper has now revealed the possible roles that the actor could be playing, and fans are having a field day with it.
Giancarlo Esposito Reportedly Up For Two Possible Roles in the MCU The Mandalorian star recently confirmed his entry into the MCU | Lucasfilm
Ever since his breakthrough performance as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul,...
Giancarlo Esposito as Stan Edgar in The Boys | Amazon Studios
He has continued playing compelling grey characters in other shows like The Boys and The Mandalorian. Esposito recently revealed that he would be joining the MCU in a role that fans would be surprised by. A scooper has now revealed the possible roles that the actor could be playing, and fans are having a field day with it.
Giancarlo Esposito Reportedly Up For Two Possible Roles in the MCU The Mandalorian star recently confirmed his entry into the MCU | Lucasfilm
Ever since his breakthrough performance as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Nathalie Emmanuel’s first trip to the Cannes Film Festival was certainly a memorable one.
The “Fast and Furious” franchise star and “Game of Thrones” alum knows what it’s like to be in the spotlight, but Cannes is unique. First, consider the fact that she’s the leading lady in legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s longtime passion project “Megalopolis,” which made its world premiere at the festival. Then, there’s the reality of ascending the famed red steps to the Palais des Festivals.
“This whole experience has been like nothing I’ve ever had before,” Emmanuel told Variety the next day. “That moment was so much bigger and so much grander — I just had no concept of how crazy it would be, how exciting it would be, how many people there would be. … It was quite overwhelming, but really exciting and felt like a real celebration.”
“And obviously,...
The “Fast and Furious” franchise star and “Game of Thrones” alum knows what it’s like to be in the spotlight, but Cannes is unique. First, consider the fact that she’s the leading lady in legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s longtime passion project “Megalopolis,” which made its world premiere at the festival. Then, there’s the reality of ascending the famed red steps to the Palais des Festivals.
“This whole experience has been like nothing I’ve ever had before,” Emmanuel told Variety the next day. “That moment was so much bigger and so much grander — I just had no concept of how crazy it would be, how exciting it would be, how many people there would be. … It was quite overwhelming, but really exciting and felt like a real celebration.”
“And obviously,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Production on MaXXXine, the sequel to director Ti West‘s films Pearl (watch it Here) and X (watch that one at This Link), wrapped way back in May of 2023, and just last month we heard that it has earned an R rating for strong violence, gore, sexual content, graphic nudity, language and drug use as it heads toward its July 5th theatrical release date. With that date swiftly approaching, a poster for MaXXXine has arrived online, sporting the warning that “Hollywood is a killer.” You can check it out at the bottom of this article.
MaXXXine is written and directed by West. Mia Goth reprises the role of X survivor Maxine Minx, a burlesque performer and adult film actress with the goal of being a star. The film has the following synopsis: In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as...
MaXXXine is written and directed by West. Mia Goth reprises the role of X survivor Maxine Minx, a burlesque performer and adult film actress with the goal of being a star. The film has the following synopsis: In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as...
- 5/20/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Outbreak Park: "Lethal Comics and Holy Crow Press present Outbreak Park! The Walking Dead meets Jurassic Park! Writer Allan Amato and artist Andy Belanger bring you their startling vision of a post-post apocalyptic world. Humanity exists in vastly smaller numbers, within fortified enclaves mirroring the early city-states of ancient Greece. While a vaccine inoculating humans against a bite has been created, most of the planet is still subject to roving herds of undead. And equally frightening anarchist wellness Men’s groups..
In New Alhambra, Outbreak Park is built to further research into the undead phenomenon, using docile zombies as teaching tools for the children growing up in the new republic. Lest the near extinction of humanity ever be forgotten, and repeated.
But while humanity is slowly clawing it way back from the brink, underneath the veneer of civilization lies a fervent minority plotting against the yoke; religious zealots that insist...
In New Alhambra, Outbreak Park is built to further research into the undead phenomenon, using docile zombies as teaching tools for the children growing up in the new republic. Lest the near extinction of humanity ever be forgotten, and repeated.
But while humanity is slowly clawing it way back from the brink, underneath the veneer of civilization lies a fervent minority plotting against the yoke; religious zealots that insist...
- 5/20/2024
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Ti West is channeling Paul Schrader for his trilogy ender “MaXXXine.” Oh, and “The Terminator.”
Writer/director West told Total Film that the 1985 Hollywood-set horror film is just as “hardcore” as Schrader’s filmography, with high concept tie-ins of “The Terminator” and “Vice Squad.” Plus, of course, what “X” film is complete without a hint of giallo?
“It’s poppy, but still grounded in more of a grittier ’80s than a shopping-mall ’80s,” West described his film. “You’re seeing the glamorous side of the movie business and the seedy side of Hollywood.”
West said “MaXXXine” has “a ‘Terminator’-like aesthetic to a Paul Schrader hardcore thing to ‘Vice Squad’ to giallo,” all mixed together.
“MaXXXine” is one of IndieWire’s most anticipated films of 2024, with Mia Goth reprising the role of adult-film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx for the latest franchise installment. Goth previously played Maxine in “X...
Writer/director West told Total Film that the 1985 Hollywood-set horror film is just as “hardcore” as Schrader’s filmography, with high concept tie-ins of “The Terminator” and “Vice Squad.” Plus, of course, what “X” film is complete without a hint of giallo?
“It’s poppy, but still grounded in more of a grittier ’80s than a shopping-mall ’80s,” West described his film. “You’re seeing the glamorous side of the movie business and the seedy side of Hollywood.”
West said “MaXXXine” has “a ‘Terminator’-like aesthetic to a Paul Schrader hardcore thing to ‘Vice Squad’ to giallo,” all mixed together.
“MaXXXine” is one of IndieWire’s most anticipated films of 2024, with Mia Goth reprising the role of adult-film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx for the latest franchise installment. Goth previously played Maxine in “X...
- 5/20/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The third installment in Ti West’s trilogy, A24 will be releasing X and Pearl follow-up MaXXXine in theaters July 5, and the official poster has arrived from A24 this morning.
With her past catching up to her, Maxine attempts to make it big as a superstar in mid-80s Hollywood in the upcoming MaXXXine. Check out the brand new poster art below.
Mia Goth stars alongside Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, Sophia Thatcher, and Kevin Bacon.
Here’s the official plot synopsis from A24 this week: “In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”
Last we saw Maxine in Ti West’s X (2022), she was the sole survivor of a massacre carried out by...
With her past catching up to her, Maxine attempts to make it big as a superstar in mid-80s Hollywood in the upcoming MaXXXine. Check out the brand new poster art below.
Mia Goth stars alongside Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, Sophia Thatcher, and Kevin Bacon.
Here’s the official plot synopsis from A24 this week: “In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”
Last we saw Maxine in Ti West’s X (2022), she was the sole survivor of a massacre carried out by...
- 5/20/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is receiving mixed reviews from critics after its debut at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16. While some appreciate the director’s crazy vision for the movie, others deem it as a disaster. Coppola doesn’t care as he is happy that he got to do the film that he had been planning since the ’70s.
He shared that he was done with studios not letting him make movies he wanted like they did with his vision for Western drama. Coppola revealed that he originally optioned the script of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven but he failed to convince any studio to put in the money for the project.
Francis Ford Coppola and Marlon Brando on the sets of The Godfather | Paramount Pictures
Interestingly, Coppola self-financed Megalopolis after studios refused to take up the risky subject of the film. He invested $120 million of his hard-earned money...
He shared that he was done with studios not letting him make movies he wanted like they did with his vision for Western drama. Coppola revealed that he originally optioned the script of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven but he failed to convince any studio to put in the money for the project.
Francis Ford Coppola and Marlon Brando on the sets of The Godfather | Paramount Pictures
Interestingly, Coppola self-financed Megalopolis after studios refused to take up the risky subject of the film. He invested $120 million of his hard-earned money...
- 5/19/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
Spoiler Alert: This article contains details about the narrative of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.
Exclusive: One of the many talking points to emerge from this week’s Cannes Film Festival screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic Megalopolis is whether distributors will be able to replicate the film’s ‘fourth wall moment’.
As most reviews for the film detail, at a certain point in Wednesday’s world premiere a performer walked onto the stage in front of the cinema screen and engaged with Adam Driver’s character in a device known as “breaking the fourth wall.”
Is it plausible that distributors would replicate such a moment in every screening? Unlikely. But at least one will give it a good shot.
Jean Labadie, who runs the film’s French distributor Le Pacte, told Deadline: “We certainly will do a lot of such performances. With four screenings a day in many...
Exclusive: One of the many talking points to emerge from this week’s Cannes Film Festival screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic Megalopolis is whether distributors will be able to replicate the film’s ‘fourth wall moment’.
As most reviews for the film detail, at a certain point in Wednesday’s world premiere a performer walked onto the stage in front of the cinema screen and engaged with Adam Driver’s character in a device known as “breaking the fourth wall.”
Is it plausible that distributors would replicate such a moment in every screening? Unlikely. But at least one will give it a good shot.
Jean Labadie, who runs the film’s French distributor Le Pacte, told Deadline: “We certainly will do a lot of such performances. With four screenings a day in many...
- 5/19/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman, Zac Ntim and Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis garnered a well-deserved standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Now, IMAX has pledged its support to the film for exclusive screening, irrespective of the distributor it aligns with. This announcement stands as monumental news within the industry, signaling a major boost for cinematic ventures.
Megalopolis [Credit: American Zoetrope] | One mediaThe film’s success owes much to the dedicated efforts of talented individuals like Christopher Nolan and Tom Cruise, whose influence within Hollywood and advocating for theatrical releases has contributed vastly!
How Christopher Nolan and Tom Cruise Helped Secure Global IMAX Release for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis
IMAX rocketed to success last year all thanks to Christopher Nolan‘s epic Oppenheimer, a billion-dollar juggernaut in 2023, matching pre-pandemic glory. It was the very thing the cinema needed at the moment! Captured entirely on IMAX film, Oppenheimer seized 20% of IMAX’s global box office, netting over $190 million...
Megalopolis [Credit: American Zoetrope] | One mediaThe film’s success owes much to the dedicated efforts of talented individuals like Christopher Nolan and Tom Cruise, whose influence within Hollywood and advocating for theatrical releases has contributed vastly!
How Christopher Nolan and Tom Cruise Helped Secure Global IMAX Release for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis
IMAX rocketed to success last year all thanks to Christopher Nolan‘s epic Oppenheimer, a billion-dollar juggernaut in 2023, matching pre-pandemic glory. It was the very thing the cinema needed at the moment! Captured entirely on IMAX film, Oppenheimer seized 20% of IMAX’s global box office, netting over $190 million...
- 5/18/2024
- by Sampurna Banerjee
- FandomWire
Legion alum Aubrey Plaza has two very different projects on the horizon - Marvel Studios' WandaVision spin-off Agatha All Along and Francis Ford Coppola's sci-fi epic Megalopolis - and both were filmed on the same lot in Atlanta, which Plaza took full advantage of!
With the respective productions overlapping for two weeks, Plaza decided to have some fun by "harassing" Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito and the rest of her Megalopolis cast-mates while in full costume as her MCU character.
“I would literally go from one to the other and would put my Wow wig on and my Wow costume on," Plaza tells Deadline. "And then the next day, I would go to the Agatha set and I’d be dressed as a warrior witch with a dagger and stuff. At one point, when I was dressed in the Marvel character, I sneaked onto the Megalopolis set and I started...
With the respective productions overlapping for two weeks, Plaza decided to have some fun by "harassing" Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito and the rest of her Megalopolis cast-mates while in full costume as her MCU character.
“I would literally go from one to the other and would put my Wow wig on and my Wow costume on," Plaza tells Deadline. "And then the next day, I would go to the Agatha set and I’d be dressed as a warrior witch with a dagger and stuff. At one point, when I was dressed in the Marvel character, I sneaked onto the Megalopolis set and I started...
- 5/18/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
If you dove head first into Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, you would get a concussion. The filmmaker’s supposed opus––a glitzy, gargantuan, long-gestating project that he conceived of in the late ‘70s, attempted to make more than once in the ‘80s, rewrote countless times over the last four decades, and eventually self-financed for $120 million due to lack of external support––has had cinephiles like myself drooling over its scope and potential for years. Alas, there is no deep end in this pool.
Don’t let that deter you though. Receive it with a healthy dose of doubt and let it reshape (and perhaps healthily lower) your expectations. Because, at the end of the day, for better and for worse, in awe and in tired confusion, Megalopolis is a garish wonder to behold.
Coppola recently said that “[his] first goal always is to make a film with all [his] heart,” and...
Don’t let that deter you though. Receive it with a healthy dose of doubt and let it reshape (and perhaps healthily lower) your expectations. Because, at the end of the day, for better and for worse, in awe and in tired confusion, Megalopolis is a garish wonder to behold.
Coppola recently said that “[his] first goal always is to make a film with all [his] heart,” and...
- 5/17/2024
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
Francis Ford Coppola is gearing up for the release of his magnum opus, Megalopolis. The project has been several decades in the making, and Coppola has pulled out all the stops for his dream project. This included getting together a huge cast of talented actors from different walks of life and with varying degrees of fame.
Suggested“I’ve only felt that twice”: Robert Duvall Predicted He Was Making History With The Godfather Before the Movie Had Even Finished Filming
One such actor was Jon Voight, who is part of the ensemble cast of Megalopolis. In the past, Voight and Coppola found reason to disagree on ideological matters. The two industry veterans have sometimes not seen eye to eye on matters concerning the state of politics. But Coppola recently revealed that despite their differences, Voight was fully supportive of the filmmaker’s ambitious movie project during the early years of its conception.
Suggested“I’ve only felt that twice”: Robert Duvall Predicted He Was Making History With The Godfather Before the Movie Had Even Finished Filming
One such actor was Jon Voight, who is part of the ensemble cast of Megalopolis. In the past, Voight and Coppola found reason to disagree on ideological matters. The two industry veterans have sometimes not seen eye to eye on matters concerning the state of politics. But Coppola recently revealed that despite their differences, Voight was fully supportive of the filmmaker’s ambitious movie project during the early years of its conception.
- 5/17/2024
- by Neeraj Chand
- FandomWire
Despite Francis Ford Coppola criticizing Marvel’s influence on Hollywood, it was an MCU series that overlapped with his “Megalopolis.”
Aubrey Plaza, who plays character Wow Platinum in Coppola’s epic and also stars in upcoming “Agatha All Along” Disney+ series, told Deadline that she brought some Marvel shenanigans to the “Megalopolis” set. Both projects were filmed on the same lot in Atlanta, with their respective productions overlapping for two weeks.
“I would literally go from one to the other and would put my Wow wig on and my Wow costume on. And then the next day, I would go to the ‘Agatha’ set and I’d be dressed as a warrior witch with a dagger and stuff. At one point, when I was dressed in the Marvel character, I snuck onto the ‘Megalopolis’ set and I started harassing Giancarlo Esposito and Adam [Driver] and everyone,” Plaza recalled. “It was absolutely insane behavior.
Aubrey Plaza, who plays character Wow Platinum in Coppola’s epic and also stars in upcoming “Agatha All Along” Disney+ series, told Deadline that she brought some Marvel shenanigans to the “Megalopolis” set. Both projects were filmed on the same lot in Atlanta, with their respective productions overlapping for two weeks.
“I would literally go from one to the other and would put my Wow wig on and my Wow costume on. And then the next day, I would go to the ‘Agatha’ set and I’d be dressed as a warrior witch with a dagger and stuff. At one point, when I was dressed in the Marvel character, I snuck onto the ‘Megalopolis’ set and I started harassing Giancarlo Esposito and Adam [Driver] and everyone,” Plaza recalled. “It was absolutely insane behavior.
- 5/17/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In a year that includes a new Deadpool outing, George Miller’s return to the Fury Road, and a Dune sequel, it’s saying something that for many, the most anticipated movie of 2024 – and the one with the biggest question mark around it – is Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. Earning his place in the pantheon of cinema’s greatest directors with Apocalypse Now, the Godfather movies and more, Coppola is an auteur whose return deserves our attention. But with his comeback film having been gestating for decades, not to mention requiring Coppola to shell out millions of his own dollars for the production, it demands it.
Set in a Roman Empire-inspired reimagining of New York City, Megalopolis stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catalina, an architect with physics-defying powers and dreams of building a utopian society. That dream sees him clash with the city’s Mayor, Frank Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who...
Set in a Roman Empire-inspired reimagining of New York City, Megalopolis stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catalina, an architect with physics-defying powers and dreams of building a utopian society. That dream sees him clash with the city’s Mayor, Frank Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who...
- 5/17/2024
- by Sophie Butcher
- Empire - Movies
The premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” was every bit the sensation people were expecting—with some critics calling the self-financed neo-Roman civic engineering drama a masterpiece and others calling it a disorganized mess.
The 85-year-old auteur, one of the few to have won the Palme D’Or twice, was sure to bring the same level of chaotic energy to his post-screening press conference. He took shots at the studios and suggested the tech companies might permanently dethrone them,
The best was when a man with a European accent, citing the film’s hope for the future, asked the writer-director if he has fears about today’s political climate when “men like Donald Trump are in charge.”
Coppola cited the worldwide trend to “neo-right, even fascist traditions, which is frightening for anyone alive during the horrors of World War II.”
He concluded that it is up to artists to shine a light on that,...
The 85-year-old auteur, one of the few to have won the Palme D’Or twice, was sure to bring the same level of chaotic energy to his post-screening press conference. He took shots at the studios and suggested the tech companies might permanently dethrone them,
The best was when a man with a European accent, citing the film’s hope for the future, asked the writer-director if he has fears about today’s political climate when “men like Donald Trump are in charge.”
Coppola cited the worldwide trend to “neo-right, even fascist traditions, which is frightening for anyone alive during the horrors of World War II.”
He concluded that it is up to artists to shine a light on that,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Francis Ford Coppola has done well at Cannes, winning the Palme d’Or twice, for “The Conversation” (1974) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979), another film mired in controversy during production that sailed into release as a critical and box office success ($85 million worldwide), nominated for eight Oscars and winning two. Now the winemaker is back in Cannes with controversial “Megalopolis,” a 2 hour, 18 minute movie which he debuted at a gala premiere Thursday night to the usual sustained standing ovation (measured between seven and 10 minutes). There were a few boos at the press screening. He had dreamed of making the overstuffed extravaganza for 40 years since he wrote early versions of it in the ‘80s, but finally spent $120 million of his own money to produce and direct it.
Coppola faced drama on the set. He replaced VFX and art department members over clashes in filmmaking methods. Adam Driver, who plays a Robert Moses-style builder who...
Coppola faced drama on the set. He replaced VFX and art department members over clashes in filmmaking methods. Adam Driver, who plays a Robert Moses-style builder who...
- 5/17/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
“To do a Roman epic set in modern America, I had no idea that the politics of today would make that so relevant,” Francis Ford Coppola said Friday in Cannes about this $120 million 40-years-in-the-making epic Megalopolis.
The movie follows The City of New Rome, an allegory for New York City, in which Adam Driver’s architect Cesar Catilina squares off with a regressive status quo mayor, Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) as well as radical renegade Clodio Pulcher (Shia Labeouf) in the hopes of building a utopian society.
“What’s happening in America, in our republic, in our democracy is exactly how Rome lost their republic thousands of years ago,” The Godfather filmmaker said during a press conference for the movie after it’s Cannes world premiere on Thursday night.
“Our politics have taken us to the point where we might lose a republic, and so it’s not people who...
The movie follows The City of New Rome, an allegory for New York City, in which Adam Driver’s architect Cesar Catilina squares off with a regressive status quo mayor, Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) as well as radical renegade Clodio Pulcher (Shia Labeouf) in the hopes of building a utopian society.
“What’s happening in America, in our republic, in our democracy is exactly how Rome lost their republic thousands of years ago,” The Godfather filmmaker said during a press conference for the movie after it’s Cannes world premiere on Thursday night.
“Our politics have taken us to the point where we might lose a republic, and so it’s not people who...
- 5/17/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Winner of two Palme d’Ors, Francis Ford Coppola‘s makes a huge return to Cannes with a film that will not go unnoticed in Megalopolis. With the price tag of about 120 Sean Baker features, this Julius Caesar salad (forgive the pun) dishes out a lot of ideas with a mega cast of Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia Labeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D.B. Sweeney, Isabelle Kusman, Bailey Ives, Madeleine Gardella, Balthazar Getty, Romy Mars, Haley Sims, Dustin Hoffman.
Gist: A project decades in the making, Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America.…...
Gist: A project decades in the making, Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America.…...
- 5/17/2024
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival press conference for his film Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola said he thinks that the traditional US studios may not survive in the future.
He said: “I fear that the film industry has become more of a matter of people being hired to meet their debt obligations because the studios are in great, great debt. And the job is not so much to make good movies, the job is to make sure they pay their debt obligations.
“New companies like Amazon and Apple and Microsoft have plenty of money, so it might be that the...
He said: “I fear that the film industry has become more of a matter of people being hired to meet their debt obligations because the studios are in great, great debt. And the job is not so much to make good movies, the job is to make sure they pay their debt obligations.
“New companies like Amazon and Apple and Microsoft have plenty of money, so it might be that the...
- 5/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
On Friday afternoon, at the most anticipated press conference of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola fielded questions about his latest work, Megalopolis, which had its world premiere at the fest in competition on Thursday night, deeply diving critics and audience members. The presser started more than half an hour late, a little unusual for Cannes, which unlike Hollywood events, generally run on time. But the filmmaker arrived in high spirits, stating that hearing applause at the premiere gave him feelings of “relief and joy.”
Coppola, 85, spent decades — and $120 million of his own money — trying to get the sci-fi epic across the finish line. The shoot was chaotic, THR reported in real time, with key creative talent quitting or being fired along the way; and this week The Guardian quoted sources from the set who suggested that Coppola made unwanted advances towards actresses.
Coppola was not...
Coppola, 85, spent decades — and $120 million of his own money — trying to get the sci-fi epic across the finish line. The shoot was chaotic, THR reported in real time, with key creative talent quitting or being fired along the way; and this week The Guardian quoted sources from the set who suggested that Coppola made unwanted advances towards actresses.
Coppola was not...
- 5/17/2024
- by Scott Feinberg and Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Francis Ford Coppola shared his thoughts on the current studio system during the Cannes Film Festival press conference for his self-financed epic “Megalopolis,” saying that they might not be around much longer.
“I fear that the film industry has become more of a matter of people being hired to meet their debt obligations because the studios are in great, great debt. And the job is not so much to make good movies, the job is to make sure they pay their debt obligations,” Coppola said in response to a question from Variety. “Obviously, new companies like Amazon and Apple and Microsoft, they have plenty of money, so it might be that the studios we knew for so long, some wonderful ones, are not to be here in the future anymore.”
The presser also veered into the political, with Coppola being asked if the film is a commentary on Donald Trump,...
“I fear that the film industry has become more of a matter of people being hired to meet their debt obligations because the studios are in great, great debt. And the job is not so much to make good movies, the job is to make sure they pay their debt obligations,” Coppola said in response to a question from Variety. “Obviously, new companies like Amazon and Apple and Microsoft, they have plenty of money, so it might be that the studios we knew for so long, some wonderful ones, are not to be here in the future anymore.”
The presser also veered into the political, with Coppola being asked if the film is a commentary on Donald Trump,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Matt Donnelly, Ellise Shafer and Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Francis Ford Coppola, the fabled director behind classics like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has poured 40 years of his life and $120 million of his own money into his latest passion project, Megalopolis. This self-funded sci-fi epic follows an architect with the power to stop time as he attempts to rebuild a devastated metropolis as a utopia, despite facing opposition from the corrupt Mayor.
Francis Ford Coppola | Source: Wikimedia Commons/Gerald Geronimo
With a star-studded cast including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Aubrey Plaza, expectations are definitely high for this long-awaited film. Making Megalopolis was an expensive and laborious procedure; thus, its box office performance will have a significant influence on Coppola’s legacy in the future.
Since the movie’s May 16, 2024, Cannes Film Festival premiere, initial reviews have been released, and they are polarizing.
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis: A Cinematic Revolution or a Misfire?
At its Cannes Film Festival premiere on Thursday,...
Francis Ford Coppola | Source: Wikimedia Commons/Gerald Geronimo
With a star-studded cast including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Aubrey Plaza, expectations are definitely high for this long-awaited film. Making Megalopolis was an expensive and laborious procedure; thus, its box office performance will have a significant influence on Coppola’s legacy in the future.
Since the movie’s May 16, 2024, Cannes Film Festival premiere, initial reviews have been released, and they are polarizing.
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis: A Cinematic Revolution or a Misfire?
At its Cannes Film Festival premiere on Thursday,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
All the big themes are here including greed, corruption, creation of a new world order and power play, in Francis Ford Coppola’s indigestible epic around the state of humanity and the world as he sees it. It is described simply as “A Fable”, but there is nothing simple about this over-ambitious allegorical sprawl.
Coppola probably has a right to indulge himself as he provided most of the $120million budget from, among other sources, his ancillary activities as a successful winemaker and seller. It has been a long time coming, with ideas swirling around his conscious for many decades.
Now the man behind such masterpieces as as The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now has thrown everything into what may be a last throw of the dice, reuniting some of his veteran collaborators, including Laurence Fishburne and Giancarlo Esposito and colourful turns from the likes of Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.
Coppola probably has a right to indulge himself as he provided most of the $120million budget from, among other sources, his ancillary activities as a successful winemaker and seller. It has been a long time coming, with ideas swirling around his conscious for many decades.
Now the man behind such masterpieces as as The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now has thrown everything into what may be a last throw of the dice, reuniting some of his veteran collaborators, including Laurence Fishburne and Giancarlo Esposito and colourful turns from the likes of Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.
- 5/16/2024
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” which premiered at Cannes Film Festival on May 16.
The wait is over: Francis Ford Coppola’s sci-fi drama “Megalopolis” has finally premiered at Cannes Film Festival, shocking and dividing critics.
The film, a $120 million epic starring Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Giancarlo Esposito and Shia Labeouf, was financed by Coppola himself — and has yet to secure a distributor in the United States. Regardless, the movie earned a 7-minute standing ovation from Cannes, as Coppola hugged Driver and Esposito and delivered an emotional speech dedicating the film to hope and family.
Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge wrote in his review that the film “is positively awe-inspiring in some places and an absolute eyesore in others, until you pull back and try to take it all in.” Though reactions have been mixed, the film was undoubtedly jam-packed with scenes that...
The wait is over: Francis Ford Coppola’s sci-fi drama “Megalopolis” has finally premiered at Cannes Film Festival, shocking and dividing critics.
The film, a $120 million epic starring Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Giancarlo Esposito and Shia Labeouf, was financed by Coppola himself — and has yet to secure a distributor in the United States. Regardless, the movie earned a 7-minute standing ovation from Cannes, as Coppola hugged Driver and Esposito and delivered an emotional speech dedicating the film to hope and family.
Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge wrote in his review that the film “is positively awe-inspiring in some places and an absolute eyesore in others, until you pull back and try to take it all in.” Though reactions have been mixed, the film was undoubtedly jam-packed with scenes that...
- 5/16/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
It’s finally here. After many reports about production issues, screenings and 40 years worth of waiting, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
The anticipated epic is being met with a lot of mixed reactions (and confusion) from the reviewers, some lauding the audacity of the movie and others questioning its existence.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s chief film critic David Rooney offers: “It’s windy and overstuffed, frequently baffling and way too talky, quoting Hamlet and The Tempest, Marcus Aurelius and Petrarch, ruminating on time, consciousness and power to a degree that becomes ponderous. But it’s also often amusing, playful, visually dazzling and illuminated by a touching hope for humanity.”
Over the last couple of months, multiple reports about Megalopolis — including from THR — have shed light on the project that Coppola has been discussing for decades. He poured a stunning $120 million of his own money...
The anticipated epic is being met with a lot of mixed reactions (and confusion) from the reviewers, some lauding the audacity of the movie and others questioning its existence.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s chief film critic David Rooney offers: “It’s windy and overstuffed, frequently baffling and way too talky, quoting Hamlet and The Tempest, Marcus Aurelius and Petrarch, ruminating on time, consciousness and power to a degree that becomes ponderous. But it’s also often amusing, playful, visually dazzling and illuminated by a touching hope for humanity.”
Over the last couple of months, multiple reports about Megalopolis — including from THR — have shed light on the project that Coppola has been discussing for decades. He poured a stunning $120 million of his own money...
- 5/16/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After months of speculation, the critical book has finally been opened on Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. The early word? Predominantly positive, with some very high highs and inevitably a few low lows.
Below, we run through some of the first reactions.
Deadline’s Damon Wise praised the movie, calling it a “mad modern masterwork that reinvents the possibilities of cinema”. He said the film is “something of a mess; unruly, exaggerated and drawn to pretension like a moth to a flame. It is also, however, a pretty stunning achievement, the work of a master artist who has taken to Imax like Caravaggio to canvas. It is a true modern masterwork of the kind that outrages with its sheer audacity.”
He continued: “Halfway through, there’s a very audacious gimmick that tears down the fourth wall in ways younger filmmakers can only dream of. Coppola breaks many of the cardinal...
Below, we run through some of the first reactions.
Deadline’s Damon Wise praised the movie, calling it a “mad modern masterwork that reinvents the possibilities of cinema”. He said the film is “something of a mess; unruly, exaggerated and drawn to pretension like a moth to a flame. It is also, however, a pretty stunning achievement, the work of a master artist who has taken to Imax like Caravaggio to canvas. It is a true modern masterwork of the kind that outrages with its sheer audacity.”
He continued: “Halfway through, there’s a very audacious gimmick that tears down the fourth wall in ways younger filmmakers can only dream of. Coppola breaks many of the cardinal...
- 5/16/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Is Francis Ford Coppola’s controversial magnum opus “Megalopolis” any good?
The two hour and 20 minute dystopian drama certainly divided the audience at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday night with its collision course of shocking scenes: a doctored sex tape featuring Adam Driver, Shia Labeouf in drag playing a Trumpian figure and Aubrey Plaza dominating her way through a slew of men.
But there was still a huge amount of respect for iconic director Coppola, who received a four-minute standing ovation upon entering the room. After the credits rolled — which included a tribute to his late wife Eleanor — and the standing ovation began, Coppola hugged Driver and Giancarlo Esposito and got emotional as he made a speech dedicating the film to hope and family.
“Thank you all so much. It is so impossible to find words to tell you how I feel,” Coppola said, then introducing his family members in the audience.
The two hour and 20 minute dystopian drama certainly divided the audience at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday night with its collision course of shocking scenes: a doctored sex tape featuring Adam Driver, Shia Labeouf in drag playing a Trumpian figure and Aubrey Plaza dominating her way through a slew of men.
But there was still a huge amount of respect for iconic director Coppola, who received a four-minute standing ovation upon entering the room. After the credits rolled — which included a tribute to his late wife Eleanor — and the standing ovation began, Coppola hugged Driver and Giancarlo Esposito and got emotional as he made a speech dedicating the film to hope and family.
“Thank you all so much. It is so impossible to find words to tell you how I feel,” Coppola said, then introducing his family members in the audience.
- 5/16/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
The most awaited film this year at the Cannes Film Festival, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, had its world premiere Thursday night, with the dystopian epic decades in the making landing a seven-minute standing ovation.
Coppola, the 85-year-old director and five-time Oscar winners, bowed as the lights came up inside the Grand Theatre Lumiere. He was congratulated by his Cotton Club star Richard Gere and got a hug from Cannes boss Thierry Fremaux as the ovation carried on.
Said Coppola to the crowd finally: “Thank you all so much — it is impossible to find words how I feel.” He then introduced those around him — including his granddaughter and son and collaborator Roman Coppola and sister Talia Shire. He called his cast “family” and emphasized the movie’s end message: “We should pledge allegiance to our families…that children should inherit a beautiful world from us.”
Coppola gives a speech after...
Coppola, the 85-year-old director and five-time Oscar winners, bowed as the lights came up inside the Grand Theatre Lumiere. He was congratulated by his Cotton Club star Richard Gere and got a hug from Cannes boss Thierry Fremaux as the ovation carried on.
Said Coppola to the crowd finally: “Thank you all so much — it is impossible to find words how I feel.” He then introduced those around him — including his granddaughter and son and collaborator Roman Coppola and sister Talia Shire. He called his cast “family” and emphasized the movie’s end message: “We should pledge allegiance to our families…that children should inherit a beautiful world from us.”
Coppola gives a speech after...
- 5/16/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione, Anthony D'Alessandro and Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Francis Ford Coppola’s long-gestating and much-discussed sci-fi epic Megalopolis had its world premiere on Thursday night at the Cannes Film Festival, and was greeted with a 10-minute standing ovation inside the Grand Lumiere Theatre, as he gave a hug to each of his his principal stars — among them Nathalie Emmanuel, Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza and Giancarlo Esposito — and threw his hat into the cheering crowd.
Coppola, who lost his wife Eleanor last month, eventually interrupted the applause to take a microphone and introduce the members of his family who were with him, including his son, Roman Coppola, and sister, Talia Shire, both of whom worked on the film. He then said of his other collaborators on the film: “They were all my family. And in fact, as [Driver’s character] Cesar says [in the film], ‘We are all one family.'”
Added the filmmaker: “The most important thing we have, the most...
Coppola, who lost his wife Eleanor last month, eventually interrupted the applause to take a microphone and introduce the members of his family who were with him, including his son, Roman Coppola, and sister, Talia Shire, both of whom worked on the film. He then said of his other collaborators on the film: “They were all my family. And in fact, as [Driver’s character] Cesar says [in the film], ‘We are all one family.'”
Added the filmmaker: “The most important thing we have, the most...
- 5/16/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” just may have broken the internet — and the brains of more than a few critics at Cannes.
Upon the film’s world premiere, fans and critics alike took to social media to capture the “insanity” of Coppola’s latest feature, which has been described by the auteur as a “Roman epic.” Count IndieWire’s David Ehrlich as a fan: In his review, he said that “Coppola’s wild and delirious fever dream inspires new hope for the future of movies.” The film debuted in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and is still looking for distribution, but will definitely get an IMAX release regardless.
Adam Driver leads the feature as a pseudo alter ego of writer/director Coppola, with the Oscar-nominated actor playing an architect who envisions saving his corrupt city and transforming the metropolis into a utopia. Meanwhile, the city’s mayor (Giancarlo Esposito) clashes with Driver’s character,...
Upon the film’s world premiere, fans and critics alike took to social media to capture the “insanity” of Coppola’s latest feature, which has been described by the auteur as a “Roman epic.” Count IndieWire’s David Ehrlich as a fan: In his review, he said that “Coppola’s wild and delirious fever dream inspires new hope for the future of movies.” The film debuted in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and is still looking for distribution, but will definitely get an IMAX release regardless.
Adam Driver leads the feature as a pseudo alter ego of writer/director Coppola, with the Oscar-nominated actor playing an architect who envisions saving his corrupt city and transforming the metropolis into a utopia. Meanwhile, the city’s mayor (Giancarlo Esposito) clashes with Driver’s character,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In the long-gestating, career-encompassing allegory that is “Megalopolis,” director Francis Ford Coppola puts his name above the title and, in the film’s lone act of modesty, the words “A Fable” beneath it. To call this garish, idea-bloated monstrosity a mere “fable” is to grossly undersell the project’s expansive insights into art, life and legacy. Here, backed by an estimated $120 million of the “Godfather” director’s own money, is the sort of big swing audiences and critics have come to adore him for: a ginormous, recklessly ambitious epic in which humanity’s eternal themes — greed, corruption, loyalty and power — threaten to suffocate a more intimate personal crisis. In this case, a conservative politician and a forward-thinking urban designer clash over a mythic city’s future, with unwieldy results.
It’s Coppola’s fortune, and he can spend it as he likes, but grandiose title aside, it’s not at...
It’s Coppola’s fortune, and he can spend it as he likes, but grandiose title aside, it’s not at...
- 5/16/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The character in Megalopolis played by Adam Driver with idealistic passion, Cesar Catilina, is a visionary genius intent on saving New York City by building a utopian future, dislodging the elite ruling class in the process. In many ways, Cesar’s mission, both noble and egomaniacal, seems a direct reflection of the dogged determination of Francis Ford Coppola to get this movie made at any cost. The “fable” could almost be an allegory for the pursuit of a dream in which an auteur can still make a monumental epic without compromise in a Hollywood that marginalizes art to focus purely on economics.
The first sparks of the idea came to Coppola in the early 1980s, and he’s been developing it on and off ever since — doing table reads with major-name actors, shooting 30 hours of second unit footage in Manhattan in 2001 and then almost abandoning the project six years later when funding proved elusive.
The first sparks of the idea came to Coppola in the early 1980s, and he’s been developing it on and off ever since — doing table reads with major-name actors, shooting 30 hours of second unit footage in Manhattan in 2001 and then almost abandoning the project six years later when funding proved elusive.
- 5/16/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MegalopolisImage: Caesar Film LLC
There are times when this whole film critic gig feels paltry, when writing a few hundred words moments after a decade of toil, tens of millions of dollars from a personal fortune, and the hours and talents of hundreds of performers and craftspeople have all gathered...
There are times when this whole film critic gig feels paltry, when writing a few hundred words moments after a decade of toil, tens of millions of dollars from a personal fortune, and the hours and talents of hundreds of performers and craftspeople have all gathered...
- 5/16/2024
- by Jason Gorber
- avclub.com
Some 45 years ago, the Cannes Film Festival invited Francis Ford Coppola to bring his latest project to the French Riviera for a special “work-in-progress” screening. The movie’s production had already achieved a mythic status as an example of Murphy’s Law made manifest, from last-minute actor replacements to monsoons to storylines being added, subtracted and rewritten on the fly. Coppola had sunk a lot of his own money into the project, since the studios had been reluctant to finance what seemed like a huge folly. The director had staked...
- 5/16/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
“When we leap into the unknown, we prove that we are free,” says Cesar Catalina, the futuristic architect at the beating heart of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis (to give it its full title), a mad eco-sci-fi blockbuster some 40 years in the making. Catalina says it several times, and it’s one of the more succinct aphorisms that he spouts in a script that is stuffed with seemingly random literary allusions from the likes of Petrarch, Crassus and Marcus Aurelius to Goethe, Shakespeare, H.G. Wells and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Watching Anthony Mann’s The Fall of the Roman Empire and eating cheese afterwards would be the only way to replicate its fever-dream grandeur, a series of stunning images, carried along by the loosest of plots, that pontificate on the self-destructive nature of humankind, the only species capable of civilizing itself to death.
True to the advance gossip, Megalopolis is something of a mess — unruly,...
True to the advance gossip, Megalopolis is something of a mess — unruly,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
The Cannes Film Festival hosted the world premiere of Megalopolis, the latest film from director Francis Ford Coppola. This star-studded ensemble cast marks Coppola’s return to the Croisette, where he previously premiered both Apocalypse Now (1979) and The Conversation (1974), winning the prestigious Palme d’Or for each film.
Related: ‘Megalopolis’ Review: Francis Ford Coppola’s Mad Modern Masterwork Reinvents The Possibilities Of Cinema – Cannes Film Festival
Coppola was joined by the stars of the film including Adam Driver, Shia Labeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Grace Van der Waal, Chloe Fineman and Giancarlo Esposito who all walked the red carpet at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, Thursday, May 16.
Related: ‘Megalopolis’ Debuts At Cannes With 7-Minute Standing Ovation
Other guests who attended the gala included Jury Members Omar Sy, Nadine Labaki and President of the Jury Greta Gerwig, Teyana Taylor, Zaho de Sagazan, Sergei Loznitsa, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Yseult, and Irène Jacob.
Related: Cannes 2024 in Photos: Parties,...
Related: ‘Megalopolis’ Review: Francis Ford Coppola’s Mad Modern Masterwork Reinvents The Possibilities Of Cinema – Cannes Film Festival
Coppola was joined by the stars of the film including Adam Driver, Shia Labeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Grace Van der Waal, Chloe Fineman and Giancarlo Esposito who all walked the red carpet at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, Thursday, May 16.
Related: ‘Megalopolis’ Debuts At Cannes With 7-Minute Standing Ovation
Other guests who attended the gala included Jury Members Omar Sy, Nadine Labaki and President of the Jury Greta Gerwig, Teyana Taylor, Zaho de Sagazan, Sergei Loznitsa, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Yseult, and Irène Jacob.
Related: Cannes 2024 in Photos: Parties,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
It had been reported earlier that Francis Ford Coppola’s newest movie, Megalopolis, was going to be a tricky sell for distributors because, even though there is a definite commercial appeal, there was also an artsy quality to it that might make it seem less accessible to sell to general audiences. However, as the first clip and the teaser trailer have shown, the new film from the Apocalypse Now director has stunningly dynamic cinematography and some very cinematic special effects sequences. It has the look of a grand sci-fi epic, and The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that it will be getting the treatment of a grand cinema epic as the film will be screening in IMAX globally.
IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond addressed the press Thursday as Cannes about Megalopolis. He stated, “The film is going to get an IMAX release. One of the things that we pride ourselves on is being filmmaker-friendly.
IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond addressed the press Thursday as Cannes about Megalopolis. He stated, “The film is going to get an IMAX release. One of the things that we pride ourselves on is being filmmaker-friendly.
- 5/16/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Imax has committed screens around the world to show Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” the company’s CEO Richard Gelfond confirmed at a Cannes Film Festival event on Thursday.
The film’s trailer, which debuted on Tuesday, said that “Megalopolis” would be coming to Imax theaters this year — but it was not specified that the release would be global.
The run-up to the premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed epic at Cannes on Friday has been filled with anticipation and controversy, partly because “Megalopolis” has yet to secure a U.S. distributor — though a global release with Imax may help sweeten the pot. The film has found distribution in France and other international territories, including the U.K., Spain and Italy.
“Megalopolis” follows architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), who after an accident destroys a New York City-esque metropolis, works to rebuild it as a sustainable utopia. Corrupt mayor Franklyn...
The film’s trailer, which debuted on Tuesday, said that “Megalopolis” would be coming to Imax theaters this year — but it was not specified that the release would be global.
The run-up to the premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed epic at Cannes on Friday has been filled with anticipation and controversy, partly because “Megalopolis” has yet to secure a U.S. distributor — though a global release with Imax may help sweeten the pot. The film has found distribution in France and other international territories, including the U.K., Spain and Italy.
“Megalopolis” follows architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), who after an accident destroys a New York City-esque metropolis, works to rebuild it as a sustainable utopia. Corrupt mayor Franklyn...
- 5/16/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Nathalie Emmanuel knows all about not talking about the projects she’s in. Seven years on “Game of Thrones” as the fan-favorite Missandei gave the Brit an instant lesson on the dangers of spoiling a show where much of its popularity rested on an endless supply of (mostly bloody) shocks and surprises.
But Emmanuel’s now unable to talk about something very different, and for very different reasons.
“Megalopolis” is without doubt among the most anticipated movies of the year. The hugely ambitious magnum opus — and potential final feature — from master filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola is a project he’s been trying to get off the ground since the 1980s. But it’s also a film shrouded in mystery and intrigue, self-financed to the tune of $120 million and with ongoing speculation over who might pick up the not inconsiderable tab to release it. A secret screening in L.A. for...
But Emmanuel’s now unable to talk about something very different, and for very different reasons.
“Megalopolis” is without doubt among the most anticipated movies of the year. The hugely ambitious magnum opus — and potential final feature — from master filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola is a project he’s been trying to get off the ground since the 1980s. But it’s also a film shrouded in mystery and intrigue, self-financed to the tune of $120 million and with ongoing speculation over who might pick up the not inconsiderable tab to release it. A secret screening in L.A. for...
- 5/16/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Marlon Brando is among the pantheon of the greatest actors to have ever graced the silver screen. He popularized the art of method acting and maintaining the intensity of his characters throughout production. His award-winning and acclaimed performances in A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, and The Godfather continued to be analyzed and admired by current actors.
Marlon Brando as Colonel Walter Kurtz in Apocalypse Now
One of his most recognizable antagonistic performances was in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, Brando has had an infamous reputation for being difficult to work with. During the film, Brando and his co-star Dennis Hopper had a misunderstanding, where Brando threw a tantrum, resulting in a feud that almost turned physical.
Dennis Hopper Got Pissed With Marlon Brando’s Insults and Almost Fought Him
Marlon Brando requested his scenes to be shot separately from Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now
By the late 70s,...
Marlon Brando as Colonel Walter Kurtz in Apocalypse Now
One of his most recognizable antagonistic performances was in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, Brando has had an infamous reputation for being difficult to work with. During the film, Brando and his co-star Dennis Hopper had a misunderstanding, where Brando threw a tantrum, resulting in a feud that almost turned physical.
Dennis Hopper Got Pissed With Marlon Brando’s Insults and Almost Fought Him
Marlon Brando requested his scenes to be shot separately from Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now
By the late 70s,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Imax is going big, mega actually, unveiling on Thursday that Francis Ford Coppola’s highly anticipated Megalopolis, premiering at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday evening, will get a global Imax release.
“The film is going to get an Imax release,” Imax CEO Richard Gelfond told the press during a Thursday event in Cannes about Megalopolis. “One of the things that we pride ourselves on is being filmmaker-friendly. So we’ve committed to Francis to do a global Imax release.”
Gelford said that he met with Coppola in Cannes and that Imax will probably wait to see who will distribute the film in the U.S. and when before dating its Imax release. The film has already sold to multiple international territories.
On Monday, the director released the first teaser trailer to his epic, self-funded passion project, showcasing more of the scale and ambition of the project, with the large ensemble cast,...
“The film is going to get an Imax release,” Imax CEO Richard Gelfond told the press during a Thursday event in Cannes about Megalopolis. “One of the things that we pride ourselves on is being filmmaker-friendly. So we’ve committed to Francis to do a global Imax release.”
Gelford said that he met with Coppola in Cannes and that Imax will probably wait to see who will distribute the film in the U.S. and when before dating its Imax release. The film has already sold to multiple international territories.
On Monday, the director released the first teaser trailer to his epic, self-funded passion project, showcasing more of the scale and ambition of the project, with the large ensemble cast,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
All eyes at this year’s Cannes Film Festival will be on the hotly anticipated premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s self-funded epic Megalopolis. Laurence Fishburne is part of the ensemble cast and is no stranger to debuting a pricey, high-profile project at Cannes.
In 2003, Fishburne hit the Croisette for the Wachowskis’ action sequel The Matrix Reloaded, in which he reprised his role as Morpheus after originating the character in the 1999 sci-fi smash. Also in attendance was Fishburne’s then-wife Gina Torres, who played Cas in the sequels.
After The Matrix introduced viewers to Neo (Keanu Reeves), a computer hacker who discovers that humans have been enslaved in a simulation engineered by AI machines, Reloaded catches up six months later with Neo’s journey alongside Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus as they battle the Machine Army. THR’s review was lukewarm but noted that Fishburne “handles well the transition to...
In 2003, Fishburne hit the Croisette for the Wachowskis’ action sequel The Matrix Reloaded, in which he reprised his role as Morpheus after originating the character in the 1999 sci-fi smash. Also in attendance was Fishburne’s then-wife Gina Torres, who played Cas in the sequels.
After The Matrix introduced viewers to Neo (Keanu Reeves), a computer hacker who discovers that humans have been enslaved in a simulation engineered by AI machines, Reloaded catches up six months later with Neo’s journey alongside Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus as they battle the Machine Army. THR’s review was lukewarm but noted that Fishburne “handles well the transition to...
- 5/16/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After 13 years, Francis Ford Coppola is back in the director’s seat with a new upcoming project entitled ‘Megalopolis’. The film is scheduled to premiere at Cannes Film Festival 2024 and will break the hiatus since ‘Twixt’, Coppola’s latest release in 2011. Not only is ‘Megalopolis’ scheduled to release this year, but Coppola has announced that this will not be his last film, as he is also working on developing another film. However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is everything we know about Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’.
'Megalopolis' - Scrapbook To Screenplay Like many upcoming films, the plotline has remained vague. Since this film takes place in the future, there is no history we can look into or research to put together the plot. According to a first look from Vanity Fair, ‘Megalopolis’ is about “the personal, political, and romantic clashes that arise during a battle to...
'Megalopolis' - Scrapbook To Screenplay Like many upcoming films, the plotline has remained vague. Since this film takes place in the future, there is no history we can look into or research to put together the plot. According to a first look from Vanity Fair, ‘Megalopolis’ is about “the personal, political, and romantic clashes that arise during a battle to...
- 5/16/2024
- by Abigail Johnson
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Independent filmmaking is no easy task — even if you’re Steven Spielberg’s daughter.
Destry Allyn Spielberg is set to make her feature directorial debut with “Please Don’t Feed the Children,” a low-budget thriller, which was filmed last year in Santa Fe, N.M.
But the film has endured significant financing problems, shutting down just before production was to begin. Production later restarted and wrapped around Thanksgiving, but the project still owes numerous vendors about $200,000, according to emails and interviews.
“All the vendors and crew did everything we could to make this film possible,” the film’s transportation coordinator, Mike Garcia, wrote in an email to Spielberg and the producers in January. “To not pay for their services in return is unacceptable.”
Jason Dubin, the film’s lead producer, said in an interview on Wednesday that the production has recently obtained funding from a new investor in Seattle that will...
Destry Allyn Spielberg is set to make her feature directorial debut with “Please Don’t Feed the Children,” a low-budget thriller, which was filmed last year in Santa Fe, N.M.
But the film has endured significant financing problems, shutting down just before production was to begin. Production later restarted and wrapped around Thanksgiving, but the project still owes numerous vendors about $200,000, according to emails and interviews.
“All the vendors and crew did everything we could to make this film possible,” the film’s transportation coordinator, Mike Garcia, wrote in an email to Spielberg and the producers in January. “To not pay for their services in return is unacceptable.”
Jason Dubin, the film’s lead producer, said in an interview on Wednesday that the production has recently obtained funding from a new investor in Seattle that will...
- 5/15/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
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