We've already heard so much about Francis Ford Coppola's struggles to get his giant new film Megalopolis made — from financial wobbles, casting changes and, most recently, a screening for studios and streamers that generated little interest in the way of distribution deals. Yet with a French release in place and an upcoming premiere at the Cannes Film Festival designed to boost the buzz, Coppola has put the first clip from the film, featuring Adam Driver's character, online. Check it out:
Megalopolis is set in an alternate modern America, where the city of New Rome is at a pivot point in history. It has to adapt or crumble, but there is conflict between Cesar Catilina (Driver), who dreams of a utopian, idealistic future for the city and its incumbent mayor, Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who clings to the status quo, allowing greed, special interests and partisan warfare to dominate.
Torn between the rivals is Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor's socialite daughter, who has seen her viewpoint altered via her love for Cesar, and must discover what she truly believes is best for humanity.
This first look at the film is certainly intriguing — are we meant to assume Cesar has the actual power to stop time, or is it (more likely) some sort of simulation?
For Coppola, the clip release is something of a bittersweet affair, coming as it does shortly following the death of his beloved filmmaker wife Eleanor. "Megalopolis has always been a film dedicated to my dear wife Eleanor," he wrote on Instagram. "I really had hoped to celebrate her birthday together this May 4th. But sadly that was not to be, so let me share with everyone a gift on her behalf."
With Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, DB Sweeney and Dustin Hoffman also in the cast, Megalopolis will launch in Cannes on 17 May.