After months of insisting it belonged only on the big screen, Francis Ford Coppola has now deemed Megalopolis fit for the living room—the film hits digital platforms tomorrow.
What happened to “Megalopolis should only be seen on the big screen?” For a filmmaker who once insisted the work could only exist on the big screen, it’s a striking pivot—and one that ensures the film’s long, strange journey is far from over.
Back in May, it had been announced that Megalopolis” would be pulled from every VOD platform, but that it also wouldn’t be receiving a 4K home release in North America.
A THR report claimed this decision stemmed directly from Coppola himself. It was reportedly his personal choice to neither pursue nor accept a distribution deal that would allow audiences to view the film at home; he felt strongly that “Megalopolis” should not be screened on a television screen.
“He wants it to play in theaters, the way it was intended,” said one insider.
Instead of opting for a digital rollout, Coppola took “Megalopolis” on tour this summer, on a six-city tour which include these wildly off-the-cuff post-screening Q&As with Coppola alone on-stage.
Now, just a few months later, Coppola seems to have softened his stance. Whether this reversal is a concession to the realities of distribution, an acknowledgment of dwindling theatrical returns, or simply a desire to let his sprawling epic reach more eyes, “Megalopolis” will finally live beyond the theater.