“Megalopolis” is poised to be the standout film of 2024, and potentially of the entire decade. With many legendary filmmakers from the golden era of cinema directing less frequently, Coppola’s return to the big screen is a highly anticipated event.
The epic science fiction drama is set for release in late September and was already showcased at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it received mixed reviews. Some critics praised it as one of Coppola’s best works, while others felt it should never have been made.
In the past weeks, the picture has garnered more headlines for its ongoing controversies than for the film’s quality. After a series of polemics that seemed to make news daily, the director has finally shared his thoughts on the situation in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Francis Ford Coppola responds to controversies around ‘Megalopolis’
From the moment it entered production, Coppola’s latest creation has been plagued by an unending stream of controversies. Initially, reports emerged that Coppola was difficult to work with, as his experimental filming approach and constant schedule changes frustrated the crew.
But that was not it. Subsequent issues included allegations of smoking on set, firing most of the visual effects team, misconduct claims involving actresses, and the recent infamous trailer. This teaser was criticized for presenting Coppola as a misunderstood genius with negative reviews of his legendary titles, only for it to be revealed that the critics were actually AI-generated.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Coppola suggested that these controversies were deliberately manufactured to undermine “Megalopolis,” as they surfaced just before the film’s Cannes premiere. He attributed the negative press to a Hollywood tendency to disparage those who deviate from industry norms, stating:
“There’s a prevailing tendency in Hollywood to say, if you follow our rules, you’ll have a better chance of a success. “Well, what about Francis? He doesn’t follow your rules.” “Well, look, what’s going to happen to him, he’s going to have a failure.” I’m trying to do something different here. Film is change. I mean, the movies that your grandchildren are going to make are going to be nothing like what we see now.”
This interview took place before the scandal surrounding the AI-generated quotes in the trailer. It remains to be seen how Coppola will address this issue. Some believe it was a real mistake by Eddie Egan, the marketing consultant that created the bad reviews using ChatGPT, while others speculate that it was a deliberate ploy to generate press for the picture, even if it was negative, to drive viewership.
