“Megalopolis”, the Hollywood sea serpent that Francis Ford Coppola has dreamed of for more than 40 years and for which the American director has swallowed part of his personal fortune, will benefit from a theatrical release in the United States, a- we learned on Monday.
The Lionsgate studio finally agreed to distribute this film, unveiled with great fanfare at Cannes but whose commercial potential seemed uncertain.
Its release in North American cinemas is set for September 27, the Hollywood company said in a press release sent to AFP.
“Megalopolis” severely divided critics at Cannes, between a testament film for some and a failure for others. A complicated reception, during a premiere whose stakes went beyond the artistic dimension.
Mr. Coppola sold his assets to the tune of $120 million to finance this ambitious project and even mortgaged part of his lucrative vineyards. He therefore needed a distributor in the United States, the world’s largest market, to hope to be reimbursed.
But this baroque fresco, which compares today’s America to the decadent Roman Empire, mixing elements of science fiction, new age thinking and neo-antique style, did not immediately find a buyer.
Lionsgate strives “to be a home for daring and reckless artists, and Megalopolis proves that there is no one more daring and reckless than maestro Francis Ford Coppola,” said one of the managers of the studio, Adam Fogelson, in announcing the distribution deal.
The company, which has distributed hits like the “Hunger Games” and “John Wick” franchises, had already acquired the rights to “Apocalypse Now,” Mr. Coppola’s masterpiece about the Vietnam War, to distribute the long version in Blu-Ray format.
Aged 85, the filmmaker assured in Cannes that “money does not matter”.
Legend of New Hollywood, awarded two Palme d’Or awards – “Secret Conversation” in 1967 and “Apocalypse Now” in 1979 – the filmmaker had been talking about “Megalopolis” since the 1980s, without ever being able to complete his project.
With this film, the director of “The Godfather” delivers an abundant work, sometimes at the risk of overwhelming.
“Megalopolis” takes place in the city of New Rome, a fictional megacity at the crossroads of New York, ancient Rome and Gotham City, the city of Batman.
A setting where Mr. Coppola stages a dispute concerning land use planning between visionary architect César Catilina (Adam Driver) and mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito).
The two men confront each other, against the backdrop of a scent of the end of a reign within a decadent society.
The film is also due to be released in French cinemas this fall.
