As you know, on Monday, a U.S. distributor finally picked up Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” and that studio was Lionsgate who are planning a September 27, 2024, release for the sci-fi film.
The acquisition came almost three months after a March 28 screening for top Hollywood executives which ended up with no U.S. distributor picking up the film. A divisive Cannes premiere only enhanced hesitation from Hollywood’s top brass, but it’s now, finally, in good hands over at Lionsgate.
However, the sell came with a concession: Lionsgate is refusing to pay for marketing on the film. THR has Coppola having to likely shell out an extra $15-20M of his own money on “Megalopolis” marketing, and that’s on top of the $120M he already spent in financing the film. No word yet on whether, as per Coppola’s earlier demands, an Oscar campaign was also part of the deal.
Come September 27, Lionsgate intends to put “Megalopolis” on more than 1,500 screens, including IMAX. Whether the film turns in a profit remains to be seen (I wouldn’t bet on it), but that seems to be beside the point for Coppola who has frequently mentioned in interviews that money doesn’t matter, and his wish is for the film to live on far after he’s gone.