Francis Ford Coppola’s film Megalopolis has landed a U.S. release date following its divisive premiere. From the legendary director of Apocalypse Now, the film tells the story of an architect who is trying to reconstruct a utopian version of New York City. Megalopolis features a leading cast including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LeBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzmann, Kathryn Hunter, and Grace VanderWaal.
Per IndieWire, Megalopolis has secured a U.S. distributor and a release date. Lionsgate will distribute the movie and it will release on September 27. In addition to this general theatrical release date, Megalopolis will get an IMAX release. Their distributor, Lionsgate, will also handle the at-home entertainment distribution of Megalopolis following its theatrical release.
There was a while when it was thought that Megalopolis would not be able to find a distributor. It went into its Cannes premiere without a distributor, and even before that, producers did not want to pick up the expensive and high-concept film. As a result, Coppola self-funded the project, which cost an estimated $120 million.
The film’s Cannes premiere further complicated the team’s chances of getting U.S. distribution and success. The Cannes audiences were split on Megalopolis, with many finding the film confusing and muddled in its execution of themes. Perturbed detractors call Megalopolis self-indulgent, interpreting the work to be about the process of filmmaking. Those who vouch for Megalopolis can appreciate the inherent subversion in its discordant tone, admiring Coppola’s refusal to stay in one consistent tonal register.