Fans hail “movie of the year” in first look at Megalopolis

Francis Ford Coppola has shared a first look at his upcoming sci-fi epic Megalopolis, and film lovers are already hailing it the “movie of the year.”

Widely considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Francis Ford Coppola cemented his reputation as cinema’s leading creative maverick with the release of his mobster trilogy, kicking off with The Godfather in 1972. A pioneer in the New Hollywood film movement, later Coppola helmed “death from above” with his 1979 Vietnam war epic, Apocalypse Now. 

But he hasn’t limited himself to producing one style of film – take the ever-divisive Jack, for example, a coming-of-age dramedy starring Robin Williams as a boy who looks older than he is. Then there’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Coppola’s take on the horror realm. 

Though they might not have reached similar acclaim as his previous work, there’s no denying his versatility. So, when the filmmaker revealed he’d return to the director’s chair for the first time in years to helm a sci-fi epic, it’s no surprise the news was met with excitement. 

Fans hail “movie of the year” in first look at Megalopolis

Taking to Instagram yesterday (February 6), Coppola shared the title image for Megalopolis, showing the dystopian New York set to be portrayed in the movie – and fans are hyped. 

Instagram/@francisfordcoppola

“Movie of the year,” said one, while another wrote, “Oscar on its way to Director Francis Ford Coppola.” A third added, “The master returns,” while a fourth simply said, “I can’t wait.” Over on X, one person predicted, “This will either be the best movie of 2024 or the biggest disaster of the century. Can’t wait.”

As for what Megalopolis is all about, the synopsis reads: “An upstart architect dreams of turning the Big Apple into a utopia, but the Mayor has other ideas for the city. The former’s vision doesn’t correspond with the conservative ideals of the politician, who turns to dirty politics and organized crime to try and bury the progressive architect.”

The cast list includes Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurence Fishburne, Chloe Fineman, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Jason Schwartzman. 

Shia LaBeouf also stars, a casting decision that attracted controversy amid FKA Twigs’s lawsuit against the actor over abuse allegations, the trial of which has been delayed to 2024 – you can read more about the allegations here. 

Coppola’s Megalopolis is a passion project, having been in the making for 20 years. Back in 2022, the filmmaker told GQ that he’d put $120 million of his own money into the movie, saying: “I couldn’t care less about the financial impact whatsoever. It means nothing to me.”

As for when it’s out, Megalopolis doesn’t have a release date – but it is set to drop in 2024.