You’ve got to hand it to Francis Ford Coppola. Despite his Worst Director “win” at this year’s Razzies, and the film turning into an outright meme online, the total and utter dedication he has towards “Megalopolis” is impressive.
In March, I reported that sources informed me “Megalopolis” was going to be pulled from all VOD platforms and wouldn’t be getting a 4K home release in North America.
To be clear: “Megalopolis” isn’t available to stream anywhere in the U.S., nor can you buy a physical copy. As it stands, the only way to watch the film is through unauthorized sites.
We now know why.
Rather than going the digital route, Coppola has decided to take his polarizing film on the road. Titled “An Evening With Francis Ford Coppola and “Megalopolis,” the event will see the director visiting six cities to personally screen the film. Each screening will be followed by an interactive discussion with the audience centered on the theme “How to Change Our Future.”
It was reportedly Coppola’s personal choice to forgo a physical or digital home release in the U.S. The legendary filmmaker has neither pursued nor accepted a distribution deal that would allow audiences to view the film at home.
Sources close to the filmmaker suggest the 86-year-old director feels strongly that “Megalopolis” should not be watched on a television screen.
“He wants it to play in theaters, the way it was intended,” said one insider.
It’s certainly a bold move. Coppola reportedly lost over $70M on “Megalopolis” and likely could have recouped at least some of that via streaming and home video deals. He’s outright refusing those options.