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What You Need to Know About Francis Ford Coppola’s *Megalopolis*

Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is a 138-minute fable of an imagined New Rome, where an idealist’s vision for the city collides with a mayor’s defense of the status quo.
Opened Runtime3 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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Megalopolis is Francis Ford Coppola’s 2024 Roman-epic fable about an imagined modern American city called New Rome—and a fight over whether it can be rebuilt for a better future. Adam Driver plays idealistic artist Cesar Catilina; Giancarlo Esposito is Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who defends the existing order; and Nathalie Emmanuel plays Julia Cicero, caught between her father and Cesar. The film runs 138 minutes, according to its official Cannes entry.

What is Megalopolis about?

The film is set in New Rome, an imagined city in a modern America, rather than offering a documentary account of New York. Its Roman-epic framework gives Coppola a stage for questions about political power, urban change and what people might build together.

Cesar Catilina is a gifted artist with a utopian plan for the city. Mayor Franklyn Cicero wants to preserve the status quo. Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter and Cesar’s love interest, must decide what she believes as their visions collide. The official synopsis presents the central question as whether the city—and humanity—can change to deserve a better future. Festival de Cannes official film entry

Who made it, and who is in the cast?

Coppola wrote and directed the film. Its principal cast and characters, as listed by Cannes, are:

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#1 Best Overall
Immortals
  • Blu-Ray
  • Digital Copy
  • produced in 2012
  • widescreen
  • Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina
  • Giancarlo Esposito as Mayor Franklyn Cicero
  • Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero
  • Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum
  • Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher
  • Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III
  • Jason Schwartzman as Jason Zanderz
  • Talia Shire as Constance Crassus Catilina
  • Grace VanderWaal as Vesta Sweetwater
  • Laurence Fishburne as Fundi Romaine
  • Kathryn Hunter as Teresa Cicero
  • Dustin Hoffman as Nush “The Fixer” Berman

How long is Megalopolis?

The Cannes official entry lists a runtime of 138 minutes. It identifies the film as a 2024 competition feature with a 2023 production year. Festival de Cannes official film entry

Why did the film take so long to reach the screen?

In a May 16, 2024 account, Festival de Cannes described Megalopolis as a project Coppola had carried for decades, saying it had been rewritten as many as 300 times over 40 years. Cannes says development began in 2001, stopped after the September 11 attacks, and resumed about 20 years later. These are the festival’s descriptions of the project’s history, not independently audited production records. Festival de Cannes, May 16, 2024

Cannes described the film as a wager financed with $120 million of Coppola’s own money; the Associated Press also reported that figure in June 2024. It should be understood as the amount those outlets reported, not as a verified final production cost. Associated Press, June 2024

What ideas is Coppola exploring?

The story asks whether a damaged city can be reshaped around idealistic goals—and whether the conflict such change brings is worth it. Cannes frames the film as a metaphor for America and a humanist tale; those are the festival’s descriptions, not the only possible interpretation of the film. Festival de Cannes, May 16, 2024

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In a statement attributed to Coppola by Cannes, he put the film’s humanist impulse this way: “As a species, we all have the same ancestor: we are one family. Let’s act so that this connection is real and that our world resembles the one that we would like to see as our paradise.”

When did it come out?

Megalopolis premiered as a competition film at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The Associated Press reported that Lionsgate scheduled its US and Canadian theatrical release, including IMAX, for September 27, 2024. That is the historical release date, not a guide to current showtimes. AP described the Cannes response as mixed reviews alongside admiration for the film’s daring. Associated Press, June 2024

Did some screenings include audience interaction?

Coppola’s original theatrical concept was more interactive than an ordinary screening. In a September 2024 interview, The Atlantic reported that he planned to place microphones in theaters and use an Alexa-based system to match audience questions with filmed responses from the actors. Coppola said he wanted repeat viewings to vary. The reported rollout was reduced to a more limited, scripted exchange, so the original concept should not be taken as a feature present at every screening. The Atlantic, September 2024

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Where can you watch or buy it?

Current streaming, rental and digital-purchase options depend on country and can change; the sources cited here do not establish present-day availability. Check local services or listings for the territory where you plan to watch.

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For physical media, Italian distributor Eagle Pictures lists the film in 4K, 4K Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD formats. That confirms editions offered in at least one territory, but not current stock, language options, a US release or compatibility with a particular player. Check the edition’s territory, format, language and regional compatibility before buying. Eagle Pictures home-video page

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