Francis Ford Coppola has revealed that his upcoming science-fiction drama Megalopolis could contain footage captured from 9/11. Conceived as Coppola’s labor of love, work on the movie began as early as 1989, but Coppola did not fully revive the idea until 2019 and ended up self-funding the $120 million production. Set in a metropolis following a devastating disaster, the film boasts a stacked cast list and grand ideas from its director, but Megalopolis is facing release problems that could threaten its success. Coppola will premiere the movie at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in May.
Now, in a written statement submitted to Vanity Fair alongside their first-look, Coppola adds an unexpected wrinkle to the movie’s early controversies: Megalopolis may include actual footage of New York City on 9/11. As evidence of the project’s extended development period, the footage was captured by Coppola’s second-unit team back in 2001 as they filmed day-to-day life in New York to work things into the script for the movie. Vanity Fair notes, however, that there’s no clarity on how much of this made it into the final version, if any. Check out his comments below:
There is no doubt that Coppola is one of the most ambitious directors in Hollywood, and having presided over such masterpieces as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now; there is a feeling that the 85-year-old knows precisely what he’s doing, and that Megalopolis will be just fine, despite its lofty ambitions. However, there is no doubt that Megalopolis is a risk for Coppola, especially as he doesn’t have a strong record of success in the 21st century. His last real hit was Bram Stoker’s Dracula, all the way back in 1992.
Megalopolis recapturing the lofty success the director achieved earlier in his career feels unlikely, especially with the supposedly experimental nature of the movie, and its weighty themes. The inclusion of 9/11 footage could also serve to upset potential viewers, and put people off seeing it, which could harm its chances theatrically and on streaming platforms. Whilst it is unclear how much, if any, of the footage will actually make it into the film, it feels like a risk that’s probably not worth taking.
Megalopolis has been a passion project for Coppola, and there are still no guarantees the movie will not fall at the final hurdle. It is possible that, with the director keen on a theatrical release for the film, he may choose to omit the 9/11 footage entirely, but it depends on how strong his vision is. Not a director to compromise on his ideas, there is every chance the footage will make it into the final cut, but audiences will have to wait to see if Megalopolis even gets a guaranteed release at this point.
Source: Vanity Fair