The film has been his dream project for many years: Now director Francis Ford Coppola finally wants to realize his sci-fi epic “Megalopolis”.
San Francisco – Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola (82, “The Godfather”, “Apocalypse Now”) wants to tackle his long-term film project “Megalopolis” with a budget of millions out of his own pocket.
“I want to continue to do my dream project, even if it has to be with my own money,” said the star director according to “Deadline.com”. The industry portal reported on Tuesday that he had set 100 million dollars for it. Accordingly, Coppola is aiming to start shooting in autumn 2022. He is now in negotiations with actors and already has a “great cast” together, said the filmmaker.
According to the report, Coppola has slated roles for stars like Cate Blanchett, Zendaya, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Lange, Oscar Isaac, Forest Whitaker and James Caan.
The director and screenwriter had already spoken of “Megalopolis” in the 1990s. The planned future utopia is to take place in a futuristic New York. Coppola compares the concept with a Roman epic in the style of “Ben Hur”. He wanted to address young people and show a society that tries to cope with big problems.
Coppola, who has been a hobby winemaker and businessman in Northern California for many years, brought out a new version of “The Godfather III” (1990), the third part of his iconic Mafia trilogy, last year. In “The Godfather – The Death of Michael Corleone – Epilog”, Coppola changed the beginning and the end, among other things. dpa
