The director of The Godfather throws away wealth with a self-financed ‘flop’

Yes, Francis Ford Coppola is still alive. The legendary director of The GodfatherThe trilogy is already 83 years old, but it’s not about stopping just yet. Only his self-financed movie threatens Megalopolis, starring Adam Driver, turned out to be a huge multi-million dollar flop. “Complete madness”, sounds from the set.

Less than a year ago, everything seemed to be going smoothly. The exciting project spanned nearly two decades, but after using his own funds, Francis Ford Coppola found a way to turn the production of Megalopolis to start. Director of The Godfather he even sold his beloved Northern California vineyards to finance the film.

But the original budget of 120 million dollars was more than insufficient. Despite Megalopolis It still doesn’t have a film distributor, the recordings are already half over. But according to a source in the generally well-earned the hollywood reporter it is unclear if production can continue as planned.

Madness on the set of Megalopolis

Megalopolis revolves around an architect who tries to rebuild New York as a utopia after a disaster. Francis Ford Coppola is said to have initially used a new type of virtual production technology for the project, similar to the special effects in the mandalorian. But as the challenges and costs of this approach have increased, the director prefers a less expensive and more traditional approach. green screen-Getting closer.

In fact, the entire VFX team has been unceremoniously fired. There isn’t even an art department left after some key figures left it due to artistic differences. One of the people fired even said that he was relieved not to have to work with the man anymore: “It was really complete insanity on set.”

Cast full of very expensive stars

Just as before The Godfather in apocalypse now However, Francis Ford Coppola assembled an all-star cast for Megalopolis. Adam Driver, Audrey Plaza, Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne, Shia LaBeouf, and Dustin Hoffman, among others, lend their talents to the film. Is there a way back then?

“There is no right answer,” says a production manager. “Coppola is going to spend a lot more money than he planned. You can imagine how much he has already invested. It would be a very bitter pill not to finish it.” In any case, the director is currently busy recruiting new staff. It is not yet known when his intellectual creation will see the light.

Answers by Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver

Meanwhile, Francis Ford Coppola himself explain about the rumors Megalopolis. And discontent among the crew, according to the Godfatherfather spirit without a doubt.

“I had never worked on a movie where I was so happy with the cast,” Coppola said. “I am also happy that we are on time. These news reports never say who the sources are. To them I say: haha, wait and see. Why Megalopolis it’s a wonderful movie first of all because the cast is great. I have never enjoyed working with a cast that works so hard and is so willing to look for the unconventional, hidden solutions. These actors are exciting to work with and the photography is everything I could hope for. so I don’t know where the hollywood reporter talking about.”

Also Adam Driver, Hollywood chouchou and star in MegalopolisIt’s hard to swallow negative news. “Yes, it’s true that the art department quit and the VFX team was fired. Not all departments find cohesion in movies, and instead of persevering and making decisions that leave a lasting impression on the movie, people quit or part ways. It’s a shame when it happens. But this production has not gotten out of hand; certainly not to the point of deserving of an article about us falling into chaos. That characterization is pertinently incorrect.”

Should Megalopolis turn out to be a failure, fortunately we can return to the impressive work of Francis Ford Coppola. By the way, did you know that The Godfather is it now also available in 4K?