Francis Ford Coppola has officially shared the teaser of his self-financed passion project, Megalopolis. The sci-fi epic, which is set to have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this month, follows the attempts to rebuild a city struck by a devastating disaster. The filmmaker has poured over $100 million of his own funds into the movie.
In a touching tribute to his late wife, Eleanor Coppola, who passed away on April 12, 2024, the legendary filmmaker has dedicated the film to her memory, sharing the teaser as a heartfelt gesture on what would have been her 88th birthday.
Francis Ford Coppola Dedicates Megalopolis to His Late Wife
Francis Ford Coppola has dedicated his upcoming epic sci-fi drama to his late wife, Eleanor Coppola, as he shared the teaser of the film on her birthday, May 4. Sharing the brief teaser on Instagram, the filmmaker stated that the movie holds a special significance as a tribute to his wife.
The Rumble Fish director expressed his love and dedication for his late wife as he shared that he had hoped to celebrate her birthday together. However, with the unfortunate turn of events, he decided to honor her memory by sharing the teaser of his upcoming film on her birthday.
Coppola shared on Instagram
“Megalopolis has always been a film dedicated to my dear wife Eleanor. I really had hoped to celebrate her birthday together this May 4th. But sadly that was not to be, so let me share with everyone a gift on her behalf.”
The couple reportedly met on the set of Dementia 13 and got married in 1963 and have been together since. Eleanor Coppola is known for her documentary about the making of Coppola’s 1979 film Apocalypse Now, titled Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.
Francis Ford Coppola Shares the First Teaser of Megalopolis
Francis Ford Coppola has long hailed the epic sci-fi drama as a project of profound personal investment, which he has spent decades working on. And the filmmaker shared the first official teaser for the film featuring the Oscar-nominated actor Adam Driver.
The teaser depicts Ceaser (Adam Driver) climbing out onto the roof of a futuristic building. He then steps over the edge and freezes the time as he begins to fall with a command, “Time Stop!” Everything freezes, and he reverses his descent before unfreezing time with a snap of his fingers.
The time manipulation angle featured in the teaser has added an intriguing dimension to the film, as Driver’s character in the movie has been described as an idealist determined to transform a disaster-stricken city into a sustainable utopia.
Earlier reports suggested that it could be challenging for the film to land distributors due to its “experimental” nature. However, a Paris-based distributor, Le Pacte, is reportedly in negotiations to acquire its distribution rights in France. Additionally, reports have also suggested that Apple and Amazon could also be interested in Coppola’s sci-fi epic.
Megalopolis will debut at the Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2024.
