THE GODFATHER director Francis Ford Coppola has nurtured an idea for his dream movie for decades, and now it is coming to theaters. MEGALOPOLIS blends classic science fiction, Roman history, American history (9/11 was a formative moment for Coppola's story concept) and, as the director has said, "nearly everything I had ever read or learned about" in the course of his life and filmmaking career.
Adam Driver stars as an architect determined to rebuild a city he considers ruined — and it seems like he has the ability to control time, too. He's opposed by the city's corrupt mayor, with the mayor's daughter caught between them.
But that is just the very beginning of a story that is guaranteed to surprise everyone. Here's the MEGALOPOLIS trailer and all the important points you need to know about the movie.
What's the Megalopolis Release Date?
Lionsgate will release MEGALOPOLIS in movie theaters — and, even better, on some IMAX screens — on September 27, 2024.
Watch the First Megalopolis Trailer
This trailer almost makes MEGALOPOLIS look like a midpoint between the silent-era drama BABYLON and Zack Snyder's WATCHMEN, and that's incredible. Visually, this is stunning footage. It's difficult to learn much about the characters or story from this first teaser, but on the basis of spectacle we're all in.
What's the Plot of Megalopolis?
We could tell you a lot about Coppola's new movie, since it premiered at Cannes in May, but out of respect for readers and the movie alike, we'll just rough in the plot.
Coppola has described MEGALOPOLIS as "a Roman epic set in modern America." Adam Driver's character, the visionary architect Cesar Catilina, has created a sort of self-building, self-sustaining construction material that might allow a city to grow and evolve with its population. But he's opposed by the fiscally-conservative mayor Cicero, who is also massively unpopular.
All of which sounds like it could be pretty straightforward drama, but then you throw in the time-controlling aspect of Driver's character, and Coppola's operative visual and storytelling approach — not to mention elements such as the actor seated as an audience member during Cannes screenings who would engage in dialogue with Driver's on-screen character. This movie sounds crazy!
Who's in the Cast of Megalopolis?
We've mentioned that Adam Driver stars as the architect Cesar Catilina. The city's mayor, Franklyn Cicero, is played by Giancarlo Esposito, while Nathalie Emmanuel plays Julia Cicero.
But that's just the very beginning of the cast, which also features Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, and Laurence Fishburne, who plays a role and is also the film's narrator, as heard in the trailer. (One of Fishburne's earliest movie roles was in Coppola's APOCALYPSE NOW, and the two have worked together in several other movies over the years.)
The cast also features Kathryn Hunter, singer Grace VanderWaal, James Remar, with Talia Shire and Jason Schwartzman.
MEGALOPOLIS opens on September 27.
All images courtesy of Lionsgate.