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Megalopolis[a] is a 2024 American epic science fiction drama film written, directed, and produced by Francis Ford Coppola. The film stars 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, and Dustin Hoffman. Set in an imagined modern United States, it follows visionary architect Cesar Catilina (Driver) as he clashes with the corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Esposito) in determining how to rebuild the metropolis of New Rome as "Megalopolis", a futuristic utopia. The film references the characters involved in the Catilinarian conspiracy of 63 BC, including Catiline and Cicero, in addition to Caesar.
In development for decades, Megalopolis came from Coppola's desire to make a film drawing parallels between the fall of Rome and the future of the United States by setting the events of the Catilinarian conspiracy in modern New York City. He conceived the idea for the film in 1977 and actively started developing it in 1983 by assembling notes for a future script. Preparations for a film based around his initial concept came together in 1989 to be shot in Rome, but it was postponed after Coppola prioritized other projects to pay his debt to Hollywood after a string of box-office disappointments. Coppola revived the project in 2001, holding table reads with prominent actors in New York. After the September 11 attacks, an event that resembled the film's plot and themes, Megalopolis was again abandoned. Having become disheartened working for the studio system, Coppola soon after declared his intentions to self-finance the project if it ever came to fruition.
Coppola announced his return to the film in 2019 and, two years after, sold a portion of his winery in California to spend $120 million of his own money to fund it. After a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, casting was underway by 2021. The film reunited Coppola with past collaborators, including actors Esposito, Fishburne, Remar, Shire, and Sweeney, cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare Jr., second-unit director Roman Coppola, and composer Osvaldo Golijov. Principal photography took place from November 2022 to March 2023, in Georgia. Coppola adopted an experimental style that permitted improvisation during the shoot by letting actors write scenes and himself make spontaneous changes to the script. These methods proved divisive, leading to the resignation of the art department and visual effects team, among others, and raising comparisons to Coppola's history of challenging productions. Filming reportedly wrapped ahead of schedule.
Megalopolis was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on May 16, 2024, and polarized critics. The film struggled to secure distribution due to Coppola's financial demands, with Lionsgate acquiring domestic rights after he compromised to cover marketing costs. In the run-up to release, a trailer was removed for using fabricated pull quotes, and allegations of on-set misconduct were made against Coppola, for which he filed a libel lawsuit against Variety for publicizing them. The film was theatrically released in the United States on September 27. It was a box office flop, grossing $6.2 million.
Plot
[edit]In an alternate present-day "American Republic", Cesar Catilina clashes with the New Rome city mayor Franklyn Cicero. Cesar is the inventor of Megalon, a revolutionary new bio-adaptive building material he believes can change the world, and has ambitious plans to utilize it to construct "Megalopolis", a futuristic utopian city of his own design. After Cesar announces his intentions in a televised speech, Cicero leads a smear campaign against him involving the death of his wife and the post-mortem disappearance of her body in unexplained circumstances.
TV presenter Wow Platinum, Cesar's mistress, leaves him to marry Hamilton Crassus III, an extremely wealthy elderly bank CEO and Cesar's uncle. Shortly afterward, Cesar becomes acquainted with Julia, Cicero's well-read daughter. While initially distrusting and spying on him, she soon develops feelings for him. When Julia reveals herself immune to Cesar's ability to stop time, he brings her on to assist in the Megalopolis project.
At a lavish and decadent wedding reception for Wow Platinum and Crassus, Cesar takes drugs backstage. Clodio Pulcher, Crassus's depraved nephew, sabotages the show to implicate Cesar in a sex scandal involving Vesta, a teenage pop star with a virginal image. Cesar is arrested but ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing and released, while Vesta continues her career after adopting a new rebellious and sexually charged persona. Soon, Cesar and Julia become romantically involved. Cesar laments the loss of his ability to stop time following his arrest but finds himself able to do it with Julia.
The Soviet Union satellite, "Carthage", falls out of orbit over New Rome, destroying large parts of the city. Cesar uses the opportunity to begin construction of Megalopolis, despite Cicero's opposition. In a press conference, he urges the need for debate and dialogue about society and asks people to consider if a better world is possible. Cesar is delighted to learn that Julia is pregnant, while Cicero is aghast. Privately, he pleads with Cesar to leave his daughter, attempting to bribe him with information about what happened to his wife, but Cesar refuses. Clodio begins stirring up popular discontent against both Cesar and Cicero with fascist rhetoric, while separately, Wow Platinum convinces