Alright, hold onto your popcorn, people—because Francis Ford Coppola is back, and he’s not playing by anyone’s rules this time. Imagine if “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now” had a love child but then decided to go all rogue and be something entirely different. Sounds like a cinematic fever dream, right? Well, that’s exactly what Coppola’s ambitious project *Megalopolis* is shaping up to be.
Now, before you start thinking, “Oh great, another blockbuster that’s all style and no substance,” let me stop you right there. Coppola, the rebellious genius we’ve come to revere, is not interested in feeding us the same ol’ cinematic formula that Hollywood keeps refrying and serving up like it’s still fresh. Does every movie need a classic hero, a villain, and a predictable plot arc? Not according to Coppola. He’s more interested in challenging our expectations and aims to serve up something risky, something bold—something you probably haven’t experienced before. And isn’t that what great art is supposed to do?
Sure, the early reviews may not be labeling *Megalopolis* as an instant classic, but perhaps those critics are just not ready for something that doesn’t fit neatly into the Hollywood mold. Hey, remember when “Apocalypse Now” first came out and people didn’t know what the heck to make of it? Fast forward and it’s a masterpiece. Could *Megalopolis* follow that same path? Only time will tell, my friends.
And speaking of time, let’s not forget the little trailer fiasco that happened just last week. So, Lionsgate released this trailer featuring supposed negative reviews of Coppola’s past masterpieces like *The Godfather* and *Bram Stoker’s Dracula*, only for us all to find out—whoops!—those quotes were completely made up. Yikes! Lionsgate swiftly pulled it down, apologized, and tried to sweep it under the rug, but in today’s digital world, good luck with that! The saga just adds another layer of intrigue to this already mysterious project, doesn’t it?
So, there you have it—a Roman epic in a modern America, a legendary filmmaker who refuses to play by the rules, and a film that might just be the most talked-about cinematic experience this year. Will it be another *Godfather* or *Apocalypse Now*? We’ll see… But one thing’s for sure: Coppola has made something you won’t be able to put a label on, and honestly, that’s exactly the sort of thing we need right now.
So if you’re curious to dive deeper into Coppola’s enigmatic new film, click that link and [LEARN MORE](https://www.joblo.com/francis-ford-coppola-megalopolis-label/).
While the first reviews for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis didn’t exactly paint the ambitious project as an instant classic, it does appear to be something different from the usual blockbuster and that’s just how Coppola wants it.
“The movie business tries to encourage everyone to think that there’s only one way a movie can be,” Coppola told Empire. “It has to have a protagonist, then, in the first few minutes, it has to have an antagonist. They are prescribing a formula that they’ll be able to sell over and over again. So when a movie comes along that doesn’t fit that formula and they don’t think it’s a new formula that can be repeated, they don’t want to do it because they feel there’s too much risk.“
Coppola continued, “As we know, the art we revere — Bizet’s Carmen, artists like Picasso, Monet and Matisse — is art that in its time was considered too risky or a failure. Apocalypse Now is a perfect example. When it came out, people said, ,‘What the hell is this?’ But they never stopped going to see it. With Megalopolis you can’t put a label on it. And that’s great. That’s the kind of film I like.“
Will Megalopolis join the ranks of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now as one of Coppola’s best movies? Time will tell, but no matter what you ultimately feel about the film, it will likely be an experience you won’t regret taking.
A new trailer for Megalopolis was released last week, but it was pulled just hours later when it became apparent that the quotes from negative reviews of Coppola’s previous movies, such as The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, had been faked. “Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis,” said a Lionsgate spokesperson. “We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error in our vetting process. We screwed up. We are sorry.“
The official synopsis for Megalopolis reads: “Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.” The film is currently slated to hit theaters on September 27th.
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