The Lionsgate company announced the agreement to distribute “Megalópolis”, the work of Francis Ford Coppola, the legendary director of “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse now” whose production demanded about 120 million dollars, starting September 27 in the main cinemas in the United States.
The film follows the efforts of an ambitious architect – starring Adam Driver – to revive a decaying New York City, hindered by a resentful mayor (Giancarlo Esposito).
The cast includes stars such as Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf and Dustin Hoffman. But its premiere in France generated mixed reviews: from “a true modern masterpiece” to a “catastrophe.”
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Hopes that it would be quickly sold to a Hollywood studio during the Cannes festival quickly faded.
Coppola has said that he spent $120 million of his personal fortune and had to sell part of his vineyard in California to make the film, which has already closed distribution deals in dozens of European countries and other regions.
In announcing the distribution deal, Lionsgate film division head Adam Fogelson said his studio strives “to be the home of brave and daring artists, and Megalopolis proves that there is no one braver or more daring than the master “Francis Ford Coppola.”
Lionsgate is a mid-sized studio that has enjoyed success with titles such as The Hunger Games, Another Day to Kill and The Fear Game, which had already released extended versions of Coppola films in home formats, including Apocalypse Now.
