“Our new film Megalopolis is the best work I’ve ever had the privilege to preside over.” Considering he directed both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, that’s one hell of a statement for Francis Ford Coppola to make. But make it Coppola did, alongside the first trailer for Megalopolis. After four+ decades of frustration (and $120 million of his own money) trying to get it made, though, we don’t begrudge him his excitement. Especially when his long-awaited film looks as epic, weird, and fascinating as we’d hope. Megalopolis stars Adam Driver as a man struggling with his own sense of reality as he tries to save his dying city of opulence from itself. Happily, in addition to the trailer, Megalopolis has also officially set its US release date.
Whatever anyone expected from Megalopolis, it looks much weirder. It takes place in a kind of modern day Rome. Only in this giant city reality and fiction blend together in a whirlwind of style and depravity. What’s actually going on, though? Coppola provided more insight when he shared the film’s first clip.
The story follows Driver’s Caesar, a “dreamer” determined to “push back” against his city’s “unchecked greed, self-absorption, and political propaganda.” His fight will put Caesar in direct conflict with the man responsible for his home’s ruinous path, Giancarlo Esposito’s Mayor Franklyn Cicero.
In addition to its hero and villain, the film also features a slew of big-time Hollywood names. It also features Nathalie Emmanuel, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Dustin Hoffman, D. B. Sweeney, Jon Voight, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, and Grace VanderWaal.
What Is the Release Date for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis Movie?
Megalopolis did not have a formal release date when its first trailer release, but the end of the trailer revealed it will come “only” to theaters in 2024. It also says we can expect to see it in IMAX. But since then, we’ve learned when we can expect the movie in theaters. Megalopolis will release on September 27, 2024.
IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond recently echoed that sentiment about a Megalopolis IMAX release, noting, “The film is going to get an IMAX release. 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.” Gelfond did specify, though, that, “It’ll probably be a limited release rather than on all the screens in the world.” He also cited that, “IMAX will probably wait to see who will distribute the film in the U.S. and when before dating its IMAX release.” Finally, Gelfond offered that IMAX viewers of Megalopolis might get a special treat, sharing, “We also are working on a live event with him; we’re trying to accomplish a live event before Megalopolis, so someone interviewing Francis.”
Happily, IMAX won’t have to wait too much longer. We now know that Lionsgate will distribute Coppola’s Megalopolis in the United States. And, as mentioned, the movie will release on September 27, 2024. A release shares, “Lionsgate Studios previously distributed many of the visionary filmmaker’s greatest masterpieces on home entertainment, including Apocalypse Now Final Cut, The Conversation, The Cotton Club Encore, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, and One From the Heart: Reprise. Lionsgate Studios will also handle the distribution of Megalopolis across all home entertainment platforms. Megalopolis will be released in domestic theaters and in IMAX on September 27, 2024.”
If it’s anywhere near as good as Francis Ford Coppola thinks, we’ll be seeing it there more than once.
Originally published on May 14, 2024.