Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
It’s been a long time coming, but Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus, Megalopolis, is finally ready to hit the theaters. The legendary filmmaker, who gave us classics such as The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and The Conversation, has been working on his ambitious and visionary project for more than four decades, overcoming countless obstacles, setbacks, and challenges along the way.
Megalopolis is a sprawling and epic science fiction drama that explores the idea of building a utopian city in New York, following a devastating disaster. The film features an impressive and star-studded ensemble cast, including Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Schwartzman, Grace VanderWaal, Kathryn Hunter, Talia Shire, Dustin Hoffman, Giancarlo Esposito, and D. B. Sweeney.
The film is based on Coppola’s original screenplay, which he started writing in the 1980s, as a passion project. He was inspired by his own experiences of visiting New York, and by his love of musical theater. He said that he wanted to create a musical that was “funny, heartfelt, and original”, and that celebrated the “magic and madness” of New York. He also said that he was influenced by films such as Metropolis, Blade Runner, and Brazil, as well as by the works of Plato, Dante, and Shakespeare.
Coppola began holding table reads with actors such as Russell Crowe, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicolas Cage, Paul Newman, Kevin Spacey, James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, and Uma Thurman in 2001, and recorded roughly 30 hours of second-unit footage of New York City with Ron Fricke, all of which he discarded after 9/11. He said that the tragic event changed his perspective and made it difficult to write about New York without addressing the implications of what happened.
He tried to revive the project several times over the years, but faced various challenges, such as finding financing, securing locations, and casting actors. He also had to deal with the changing landscape of the film industry, which favored franchises, sequels, and remakes over original and risky stories. He said that he felt like an outsider and a rebel in Hollywood, and that he had to fight for his artistic vision and integrity.
He finally managed to get the project off the ground in 2022, with the help of his longtime collaborators and supporters, such as producer Michael Bederman, cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare Jr., and editor Glen Scantlebury. He also assembled a new and diverse cast of actors, who shared his enthusiasm and passion for the film. He said that he was impressed by the talent and charisma of the younger generation, and that he wanted to pass on his legacy and wisdom to them.
He began filming in November 2022, and wrapped up in March 2023, after shooting in various locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California. He said that he was amazed by the advances in technology and filmmaking, and that he used them to enhance his storytelling and vision. He also said that he was grateful for the opportunity and the privilege to make his dream film, and that he hoped that it would inspire and entertain the audiences.
Megalopolis is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, where Coppola will receive the honorary Palme d’Or for his lifetime achievements. The film will then have a wide release in June 2023, coinciding with Coppola’s 84th birthday. The film is expected to be a major event and a cultural phenomenon, as well as a critical and commercial success.
The film is also expected to be a strong contender for the Academy Awards, where Coppola could potentially win his sixth Oscar, and join the elite club of filmmakers who have won the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay awards for the same film, such as Billy Wilder, James L. Brooks, and Peter Jackson.
The film is also expected to be compared and contrasted with another sci-fi thriller that was released in 2021, Sensation, directed by Martin Grof, and starring Eugene Simon, Emily Wyatt, and Jennifer Martin. The film was shot on location in London and Suffolk in 2019, and had a limited theatrical release in 2021 in the US, where it was distributed by Vertical Entertainment.
Sensation is a British mystery thriller that follows a lowly postman who is inducted into a top-secret superhuman DNA program at a research facility, and discovers that he can receive, control, and send information based on the senses of others. The film is a convoluted and untidy conspiracy yarn, that tries to emulate the style and substance of films such as The Matrix, Inception, and The Bourne Identity, but fails to deliver on its promises.
The film received mostly negative reviews from critics and audiences, who criticized its plot, characters, dialogue, and direction. The film was also accused of being derivative, clichéd, and boring, and of wasting the potential of its premise and cast. The film was a box office flop, and was quickly forgotten by the public.
The contrast between Megalopolis and Sensation is striking, and illustrates the difference between a master and a novice, between a visionary and a copycat, between a classic and a flop. Megalopolis is a film that has been eagerly awaited and anticipated for decades, and that will surely live up to the hype and expectations. Sensation is a film that was barely noticed and appreciated, and that will soon be erased from the memory and history of cinema.
Megalopolis is a film that represents the culmination and the celebration of Coppola’s career and legacy, and that showcases his genius and creativity. Sensation is a film that represents the mediocrity and the stagnation of the current film industry, and that exposes its lack of originality and innovation.
Megalopolis is a film that will make you think, feel, and dream, and that will transport you to a new and exciting world. Sensation is a film that will make you yawn, roll your eyes, and snooze, and that will bore you to death.
Megalopolis is a film that you don’t want to miss. Sensation is a film that you don’t want to see.
