Megalopolis,The Godfatherdirector Ford Coppola’s latest movie, is arguably his most ambitious by far. The self-funded science fiction film tells the story of a future in which an attempt is made to convert a post-disaster New York City into a utopia. It’s also something of a Roman epic, with its main characters wearing names like Cesar Catalina, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, and Hamilton Crassus III. The movie’s cast is as sprawling as its vision, and includes Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, and Grace VanderWaal.
Screen Rantis excited to shareMegalopolisreactions from some of today’s top directors, including Guillermo del Toro and Spike Jonze.Screen Rant’sMegalopolisreviewfavorably called the movie an “experimental fever dream” and, judging by the quotes below, that unabashed exhibition of Coppola’s vision has won over these filmmakers. Take a look below, and remember–Megalopolisis in theaters now.
Spike Lee: My brother continues to amaze me and his fearlessness, like he’s going to do what he has to do to get it done. Bottom line.
Spike Jonze: I’m still smiling from it. Radical. I’ve never seen anything like it. I remember hearing about it but never could have imagined what it came to be. There was so much I loved about it, but the tone was the thing that got most under my skin. It was funny and alive and electric and made the world and ideas so vivid. The performances Francis created with the actors and the details of the world… I laughed out loud the whole time. The play and surrealism and joy of creating. It’s incredible that he’s been thinking and working on it as long as he has but it still felt of today, about now and the world we are both in and careening towards.
Guillermo del Toro: Francis is still the same bold, fearless, inventive filmmaker that he was in his 20’s. I was Swept by Megalopolis!
Steven Soderbergh: WOW! This might be the craziest thing ever shot on American soil. Certainly, one of the most sustained acts of pure imagination I’ve ever seen. I dreamt about it all night—it was inspiring!
Should You See Megalopolis?
Plenty of science-fiction movies have told gripping tales about the future of humanity, yet Francis Ford Coppola has clearly done so in a way that finds new ground. Withtime-stopping powers, callbacks to Roman history, and a New York City setting, the movie is a blend of past and future that has all the ingredients to captivate science-fiction fans. Even the look of the movie promises to bring viewers into a world unlike any they have seen before.
Story aside,Megalopolisis going to be worth seeing for some as a fascinating result of over two decades' worth of time and effort. Coppola’s epic was in development for so long thatMegalopolisincludes footage of the 9/11 attackon the World Trade Center, captured by the second unit team at Ground Zero. Coppola reportedly had the idea for the movie in the 1970s while filmingApocalypse Now, and started writing the screenplay in the 1980s–for context, the idea forMegalopoliswas conceived years before the movie’s 40-year-old leading man. It’s a movie about the future that was first imagined nearly half a century ago, ensuring a perspective that makes it wholly unique.
For those interested in films as art and the people who make them, Coppola’s latest is also a look into the mind of someone who has been a master of their craft for so long that they are more than comfortable pushing boundaries. Coppola throws it all at the wall with moments likeMegalopolis’interactive scene,giving audiences an experience they won’t have at any major studio release in the near future. The movie may be an unconventional watch, but that’s a testament to Coppola’s ability and status as a filmmaking legend, and, according to the quotes above, an important watch for those ready to be inspired.
Megalopolis
Cast
Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a visionary 2024 film exploring the ambitious dream of reconstructing New York City into a utopia, following a devastating disaster. The narrative delves into the clash between the architect’s utopian vision and the political and personal turmoil that ensues. With a star-studded cast, the film examines themes of ambition, power, and the human spirit’s resilience against the backdrop of a futuristic metropolis.
