Adam Driver’s Utopian Vision

Francis Ford Coppola Unveils Megalopolis: A Glimpse into the Future

Francis Ford Coppola is ready to show you his vision of the future. The iconic director’s long-brewing passion project, Megalopolis, finally released its first trailer this week.

Megalopolis: A Roman Epic in Modern America

Described as “a Roman Epic set in an imagined Modern America,” Megalopolis takes place in the city of New Rome, which is on the brink of massive change. Adam Driver stars as Cesar Catilina, a genius artist who wants to leap into a utopian, idealistic future. He is opposed by Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo that rewards greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. The mayor’s daughter, Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), is torn between her love for Cesar and her loyalty to her father. It’s up to her to discover what she believes humanity deserves from the future.

The Trailer and Coppola’s Cinematic Journey

The trailer shows off the glittering aesthetic of New Rome, while also directly tying the film to Coppola’s real-life career. As Cesar dangles on the precipice of a skyscraper in an apparent suicide attempt, the screen flashes blurbs of negative critical reviews for The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, past Coppola films that received a mixed reception at first before aging into cinematic classics. Like a director, Cesar has the ability to control the movie. When he says “stop,” all the cars below him freeze. When he says “go,” they resume their motion. Cesar’s frustration with his society also seems to match Coppola’s attitudes about the film industry.

“Is this way we’re living now the only one that’s available to us?” The character asks aloud.

A Star-Studded Cast and the Poster’s Message

The film’s sprawling cast also includes Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, and Dustin Hoffman, among others. A poster released this week shows Driver’s Cesar in the middle of a glowing prism. “If you can’t see a better future, build one,” reads the tagline. Megalopolis even comes with a subtitle on this poster: “A Fable.”

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Megalopolis first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this spring, where it received mixed reviews. Since then, the film has been the subject of controversy regarding Coppola’s alleged treatment of extras on set. During a scene set in a nightclub, the director allegedly kissed and groped female extras to get them “in the mood.” The Guardian first reported those claims in May, citing unnamed sources, and then Variety published set videos in July that purported to show Coppola doing just that.

Controversy Surrounding the Film

Rayna Menz, one of the extras featured in Variety’s videos, subsequently came forward and said that the director “did nothing to make me or for that matter anyone on set feel uncomfortable” and “that someone had video of that is just ridiculous and super unprofessional.” But another extra from the film, Lauren Pagone, disagreed with Menz’s account, telling Variety that “I was in shock. I didn’t expect him to kiss and hug me like that.”

In response to The Guardians’ report in May, one of the film’s executive producers, Darren Demetre, told The Hollywood Reporter he “was never aware of any complaints of harassment or ill behavior during the course of the project.”

When asked about those allegations directly, Coppola gave The New York Times what the outlet described as a “rambling” response, saying, in part, “My mother told me that if you make an advance toward a woman, it means you disrespect her, and the girls I had crushes on, I certainly didn’t disrespect them.” He added, “I’m not touchy-feely. I’m too shy.”

Megalopolis hits theaters on Sept. 27.

FAQs

Q: When is the release date for Megalopolis?

A: Megalopolis is set to hit theaters on Sept. 27.

Q: Who are some of the lead actors in Megalopolis?

A: The film stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, and Dustin Hoffman.

Credit: ew.com