Francis Ford Coppola, 82, wants at all costs to stage his legendary project: Megalopolis. For this, he is ready to stake a large part of his personal fortune.
The Godfather trilogy, Secret Conversation, Apocalypse Now, Dracula … Francis Ford Coppola has staged unforgettable masterpieces.
At 82, the American filmmaker wants to strike a blow in what would be his latest project: Megalopolis. This feature film of disproportionate ambition has been in the boxes for many years. We went back to the genesis of the film in this dossier on the failed projects of great directors.
A PHARAONIC UTOPIA
Described by the maestro as a sci-fi film under the influence of novelist Ayn Rand, famous for her works depicting dystopian universes, Megalopolis is set in a New York city trying to rebuild itself after a cataclysm. A reconstruction carried out by an architect who is trying to (re) build a small utopian town called “Cityworld”, in the heart of the Big Apple.
According to Deadline, Coppola did not finally give up on this project and intends to invest a large part of his personal fortune in the budget, estimated between 100 and 120 million dollars. The director approached Oscar Isaac to star, as well as other stars like Forest Whitaker, Cate Blanchett, Jon Voight, Zendaya, Michelle Pfeiffer or Jessica Lange. James Caan, who played Sonny Corlone in The Godfather has already agreed with the director to play in the film.
I always want to make a dream movie, even if I have to stake my own money.
Unusually, Oscar Isaac will play the young Coppola in Francis and the Godfather, which will tell the Homeric behind the scenes of the creation of The Godfather.
A DREAM FILM
“It has become a kind of war of religion, in the sense that it is based on nothing logical. I think the important information is that I am still the same as 20 years ago. or 40 years old. I still want to make a dream movie, even if I have to stake my own money, I am able to put out $ 100 million if I have to. I don’t want to, but if I must do it “, assures Francis Ford Coppola.
The filmmaker can count on his fortune acquired thanks to his vineyards, part of which was recently sold, to finance part of the film. And the least we can say is that he’s more motivated than ever. “I have made a commitment to make this film, I would like to shoot it in the fall of 2022. All my casting is not validated, but I have enough to be sure that it will be an exciting cast. The film will cost between 100 and $ 120 million. But obviously I’d prefer it to be closer to 100 “, says the native of Detroit.
Everyone wants to make the next Marvel, but no one wants to make a movie that really gives young people hope.
GIVING HOPE TO YOUTH
“Everyone wants to make the next Marvel, but nobody wants to make a movie that really gives hope to the youth, that we’re ready to come together and solve whatever problem comes our way. that I believe and that will be the real theme of the film. It is time for us to realize that the society we live in is not the only alternative available to us. “, adds the director of 82 years, who seems to have found a mad energy.
Megalopolis will take place in a modern city but will be inspired by ancient Rome, according to Coppola: “It’s a peplum, in the traditional style of Cecil B. DeMille or Ben-Hur, but nowadays and centered in America. It’s based on the Catiline Conjuring (a political conspiracy that marked Roman history), which comes from ancient Rome. It was a famous duel between a patrician, role which will be played by Oscar Isaac, and the famous Cicero, which will be played by Forest Whitaker.
He will be the cornered mayor of New York, in the midst of the financial crisis. His character will be inspired by David Dinkins, who was mayor of the Big Apple in the early 1990s. The story does not take place in a specific time, it is a vision of modern New York, which I call New Rome “, specifies the filmmaker in the columns of Deadline.
Will Francis Ford Coppola finally succeed in starting this project of a lifetime? In the manner of Martin Scorsese with The Irishman, will he leave the world of cinema one last great gargantuan fresco before taking his bow? Response in 2022! Note that the director’s last film dates back to 2012 with Twixt. Recently, he released a director’s cut version of The Godfather 3 called “The …
