I guess if you have it to spend, you might as well spend it. This is the case with legendary director Francis Ford Coppola who is said to dropping $120 million of his own money on his new film, a passion project, Megalopolis.
While speaking with GQ, Coppola expressed that he “couldn’t care less about the financial impact” if Megalopolis flops at the box office even though he’s putting up millions in funding himself. The director said, “I know that Megalopolis, the more personal I make it, and the more like a dream in me that I do it, the harder it will be to finance.”
Coppola began writing Megalopolis back in the 1980s and the film’s plot remains unknown. GQ has described it as “a love story that is also a philosophical investigation of the nature of man.” In an answer that maybe someone of only Coppola’s stature could give, the director told GQ, when they asked about the plot, “the premise of Megalopolis? Well, it’s basically…I would ask you a question, first of all: Do you know much about utopia?” Take that as you will I guess.
In order to fund the film, Coppola sold a share of his wine empire and he made it very clear that doesn’t care if the film flops, much like a previous financial misfire, One From the Heart. Coppola said, “If I’m going to invest $120 million of my own money – which I’ve already done basically, I have it there, waiting to be written to make it – I want it to have a good result for humanity. It’s not as if $120 million is the extent of what I have. I have bequeathed much to all my children. And then they themselves, the greatest thing I bequeathed to my children is their know-how and their talent. [My kids are] not going to have a problem. They’re all very capable. And they have Inglenook [the family winery], where we are. There’s no debt on this place. None.”
Even though plot details are slim on Megalopolis, Deadline previously reported that Coppolas has discussed roles in the film with Oscar Isaac, Forest Whitaker, Cate Blanchett, and Jon Voight. Whatever the film may be about, at least it has some solid names lined up if all of these performers remain interested.
What are YOUR thoughts on Francis Ford Coppola spending $120 million to fund his new film Megalopolis?