A Paste Magazine interview with Adam Driver has the actor confirming that he’s done shooting Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis.” He elaborates further on the incredible experience he had:
I’m gonna take some time off just to be home for a while. I finished my part of Megalopolis this morning, at four o’clock in the morning in Atlanta. So, I’m not operating on full capacity. I don’t have a set plan. But I’m gonna take some time. I’m sick of myself and I know other people are. They tell me all the time on the street. That’s not true. [Laughs.] But Megalopolisis one of the most exciting things that I’ve ever been a part of, with Francis [Ford Coppola] in particular. It’s one of the best shooting experiences I’ve had. And the things that he’s made, there’s no frame of reference for it. It’s so unique and inventive and hopefully accessible by everyone. That it’s not so elusive that it’s for a certain audience, it’s for everyone. And he is everything that you hope he will be. I know his movies so much more because it’s impossible to not watch them and see him in all of them. He’s so courageous. He made it himself so he would have control over the thing it was. He kept pushing it to be as inventive as it could be.
Shooting on the film started in November and is in its very final stages of production this week.
Coppola’s film is said to be a Roman-style epic centered around the aftermath and reconstruction of New York City following a disaster that wrecked the city and wiped off its urban infrastructure. Amid this chaos is an architect who is intent on braving the odds to rebuild New York City as a utopia after the devastating natural disaster.
Suffice to say, a lot of people are confused about what to expect, which is refreshing. How can anyone root for this to fail? Even if it’s the biggest financial failure in Hollywood history, I'd much rather watch a big ambitious swing like this one, that has some semblance of artistry and passion, than any generic algorithm-driven blockbuster.
There is, obviously, no release date as of now. I would think “Megalopolis” gets a 2024 slot given all the VFX and new technology that will be used on the film.
I am absolutely fascinated by the prospect of Fra “Megalopolis” finally getting made. The man is shelling out his own money to help produce this long-gestating passion project of his.
It’s been reported that Coppola invested $120 million of his own money to make the damn thing The legendary writer-director sold a portion of his wine empire to finance the upcoming epic. Why? Because he damn well can. He probably has money to spare. At least this will give the master TOTAL CREATIVE CONTROL over the whole project.
Coppola: “I’m going to make ‘Megalopolis’ and I tell you that people are going to be scratching their heads saying, ‘Wow, it has so much in it that we didn’t understand at first that we understand now.’ That’s my hope.”
Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.