American Zoetrope
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Megalopolis
If you can't see a better future, build one.
In a futuristic New York known as New Rome, visionary architect Cesar Catilina dreams of building "Megalopolis," a utopian city that redefines society’s limits. Opposing him is the corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who clings to power and profit. Between them stands Julia, the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar forces her to choose between loyalty, ambition, and the fate of humanity.
- Original title
- Megalopolis
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $120,000,000
- Revenue
- $14,387,154
exanime
Dec 17, 2025 · via TMDB
Honestly, there are no redeeming qualities to this film. The story itself is barely interesting, the over the top acting is just ridiculous, the visuals are amateurish (honestly, I have seen film students produce better stuff)
Wuchak
Oct 2, 2024 · via TMDB
**_Colorful, eccentric, intellectually heavy and full of pizazz, but not for the masses_** A brilliant architect (Adam Driver) is determined to recreate a core section of New Rome in the later 21st century with a revolutionary bio-adaptive material called Megalon. But the new mayor resists these creative plans because he’s content with the way things are (Giancarlo Esposito). As such, the mayor’s not happy when his daughter (Nathalie Emmanuel) starts to develop a relationship with the prodigy. Shia LaBeouf plays a decadent troublemaker while Aubrey Plaza appears as a scheming TV presenter drawn to the financial backbone of the city (Jon Voight). Francis Ford Coppola first came up with the idea for “Megalopolis” in 1977. It was inspired by Lucius Sergius Catiline’s failed attempt to take control of the Roman republic in 63 BC, but lost to his rival Marcus Tullius Cicero. Even though Francis compiled hundreds of pages of notes and script fragments for the project in early 1983, the first serious attempt to go forward with making the movie was in 2001-2002, but the production eventually froze for various reasons, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks. When Coppola turned 80, he decided to throw caution to the wind and finally make the film, financing it himself at a cost of $120 million, with shooting taking place between November and March, 2022-2023. So, is it any good? Some critics call it a “big mess,” but the plot is actually simple, as detailed above. It’s Francis’ artsy style that throws people off wherein he respects the intelligence of the viewer to put the pieces together. This approach was evident in his previous pictures, like “One From the Heart,” “Rumble Fish,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Youth Without Youth” and “Twixt” (aka “B-Twixt Now and Sunrise”). Speaking of those flicks, if you liked any of them, or hated ’em, this is cut from the same artistic cloth. As observed with “Tucker: The Man and His Dream,” “Tetro” and even “Apocalypse Now” (the character of Kurtz), Coppola likes to parallel aspects of his own life in his movies. Here, he’s Cicero (Driver), an award-winning genius who has an ambitious new project that will revolutionize the landscape if carried out, but those in power oppose his noble efforts. He’s constantly slandered or framed with his indiscretions not helping matters. He’s also troubled by the death of his wife and his unborn children (remember the tragedy of Francis’ eldest son, Gian-Carlo, in 1986?). Yet he presses on with his vision and ultimately changes the world with his art. At the end of the day, the movie’s entertaining on several fronts and stuffed with quality mindfood, not to mention it has a welcome warmhearted close. I busted out laughing on several occasions in light of the creative madness of it all. For those who say the amusement was “unintentional,” I guess they never saw Coppola’s previous film “Twixt,” not to mention earlier ones like “You’re a Big Boy Now.” I see the city of Megalopolis as a type of the New Jerusalem in the Bible, the eternal city described in Revelation 21-22 (awesome streets of gold and all that). "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life" and so the impenitent in the movie reap the wages of their transgressions whereas those who change their minds/thinking/actions (that is, they repent) are able to enjoy the benefits of the amazing new city. If you value it, this is a flick you’ll be able to go back to for gems missed on previous viewings. It runs 2 hour, 18 minutes, and was shot in Manhattan and Trilith Studios, Atlanta. GRADE: B+/A-
CinemaSerf
Sep 29, 2024 · via TMDB
So imagine that the Roman Empire survived the turbulent treacheries of the original Caesars and made it to third millennium. (New) Rome has miraculously relocated to the United States (of course the greatest country the world has ever known) and the city is run by mayor "Cicero" (Giancarlo Esposito). He's not without his detractors, though, and one of them is the ambitious "Cesar" (Adam Driver) who has ambitions to reinvent their city, Nero-style, by demolishing the run down slums and replacing them with an idealistic utopia constructed of his new, eternally lasting, "Megalon". The city's vested interests are lined up against this young man though, all except the mayor's daughter "Julia" (Nathalie Emmanuel) who has taken a bit of a shine to the ambitious "Cesar" - and that's much to the chagrin of his previous squeeze "Wow" (Aubrey Plaza) who decides that she will seek some vengeance by marrying the enormously wealthy, and aged, "Crassus" (Jon Voight). Add to this already rather cluttered mix, the personality of "Clodio" (Shia LaBoeuf) who is determined to bring down "Cesar" and see himself in public office - and inherit the "Crassus" fortune, and we have the makings of an internecine intrigue that ought to have made Suetonius and Machiavelli blush. Instead, well, we get a rambling drama that hasn't a clue where it's going - nor for whom it is for. It tries to mix a bit of the ancient Shakespeare (and Marcus Aurelius) into the dialogue to lend some gravitas and sense of history to the plot, but for the most part this is just a confused mess of a film. It's a toss up between LaBeouf as the the over-the-top, hammy, "Clodius" and Voight's doddery old gazillionaire as to who takes what acting plaudits there might be here, but the rest of the cast look like fish out of (CGI) water and though the production makes the odd to nod to cinema history - there's a tiny bit of Fritz Lang here, I though - the rest of this comes across as an ill-inspired vanity project for Francis Ford Coppola that can't decide if it's "Romeo & Juliet" or "Spartacus" and in the end doesn't deliver the potency, emotion, intensity or humour of either. It is a good looking film and the production designers have imaginatively created a city-scape that is ripe for the story, it's just that the story isn't ripe for the audience. It does need to be seen on a big screen, but be prepared to be underwhelmed as it starts strongly then simply peters out into a wordy melodrama with a few clumsily delivered messages about the nature of greed and the fecklessness of humanity lightly woven into the weak storyline. Beware, it ends tentatively enough to scream sequel at us, too!
Brent Marchant
Sep 28, 2024 · via TMDB
In the interest of full disclosure, it pains me to write this, but I feel I must be honest. Legendary writer-director Francis Ford Coppola’s long-awaited epic cinematic fable is, regrettably, a major disappointment. After decades of stop-and-start development, the filmmaker’s metaphorical opus about a renowned, idealistic architect (Adam Driver) seeking to build an ambitious utopian development in a modern-day version of New York inspired by ancient Rome follows the protagonist’s often-frustrated efforts to get the project off the ground (not unlike the production of this movie itself). Thematically speaking, the picture addresses a number of thoughtful, significant issues about the roles of greed, corruption, politics and agenda-based motivations in matters of public welfare, as well as the importance of enabling the expression of inspired creative freedom. It also delves into the relevance of love and support in fueling the success of such ventures. However, these notions are severely undermined by an overwhelming abundance of narrative clutter and style over substance. While it’s true that “Megalopolis” is gorgeous to look at with its inventive and impressive cinematography and production design, these visual aspects become so dominant that they vastly overshadow the coherence and intelligibility of the story. Admittedly, a greater sense of clarity begins to emerge as the picture unfolds, but, unfortunately, by that point, it’s difficult to imagine almost anyone genuinely caring about what ultimately happens. There are also many less-than-subtle parallels between the plot of this film and the screen adaptation of author Ayn Rand’s best-selling novel “The Fountainhead” (1949), raising some questions about the authentic originality of this work. Given that this could well be Coppola’s final film, it’s a shame to see the director wind up his repertoire with such a disappointing and underwhelming effort, and some reviewers (myself included) have tried mightily to avoid being unduly unkind, perhaps delivering more generous ratings than might ordinarily be the case. Nevertheless, it would appear that this allegorical undertaking was more than the filmmaker could manage, and it shows in the finished product, quite a letdown from the director known for such classic offerings as “The Godfather” (1972) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979). Yet, if you’re determined to see it, in light of the stunning visuals, this is probably a production best viewed on the big screen, but don’t be surprised if you walk away from this one disappointed overall.
Manuel São Bento
Sep 27, 2024 · via TMDB
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/megalopolis-review-admirable-ambition-meets-chaotic-execution-in-francis-ford-coppolas-epic/ "Megalopolis is an ambitious epic that attempts to examine numerous thought-provoking themes, but Coppola's vision of societal reconstruction reflects both its grandeur and the inherent flaws of its chaotic execution. Despite immersive visuals and a talented cast, the narrative becomes overloaded with metaphors and philosophical analogies, resulting in an experience that, while provocative, feels confusing and scattered. The central conflict between Cesar and Cicero offers intriguing moments, but the richness of the ideas often gets diluted by the film's excessive complexity. A frustrating disappointment that, even as the creation of one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, still falls prey to the common pitfalls of contemporary cinema." Rating: C-
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Plex
Adam Driver
Cesar Catilina
Giancarlo Esposito
Mayor Cicero
Nathalie Emmanuel
Julia Cicero
Aubrey Plaza
Wow Platinum
Shia LaBeouf
Clodio Pulcher
Jon Voight
Hamilton Crassus III
Laurence Fishburne
Fundi Romaine
Talia Shire
Constance Crassus Catilina
Jason Schwartzman
Jason Zanderz
Kathryn Hunter
Teresa Cicero
Grace VanderWaal
Vesta Sweetwater
Chloe Fineman
Clodia Pulcher
James Remar
Charles Cothope
D. B. Sweeney
Commissioner Stanley Hart
Isabelle Kusman
Claudine Pulcher
Bailey Coppola
Huey Wilkes
Madeleine Gardella
Claudette Pulcher
Balthazar Getty
Aram Kazanjian
Romy Mars
Girl Reporter
Haley Sims
Sunny Hope Catilina
Dustin Hoffman
Nush 'The Fixer' Berman
Sonia Ammar
Zena The Model
Neri Oxman
Dr. Lyra Shir
AJ Caba
Balin the Fractal
Michael Mourra
Boy Assassin
Charlie Talbert
Felix the Butler
Caroline Bloom
Cesar's Secretary
Donald Pitts
Ringmaster
James Keane
Laughing Man
Sean Hankinson
TV Newscaster
Andrew Ayala
Spanish-Speaking Protester
Kendra Stout
Servilia
Max Bojorquez
Non English-Speaking Driver
Suzan Norton
Wall Street Lawyer
Vanessa Nichole
Vesta Lookalike
Nikki Rush
Vesta Lookalike
Emma Anne Wedemeyer
Fake Vesta in Bed
Ivy Lightsey
Lady Justice Statue
Savannah Powers
Mournful Lady Statue
Adolf Hitler
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Benito Mussolini
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Matthew James Gulbranson
New Rome Citizen (uncredited)
Alejandro Rodríguez
Megapenis
Till Nowak
Concept Artist
Karl Shefelman
Conceptual Illustrator
Cristiano Donzelli
Storyboard Artist
Ron Fricke
Additional Photography
Mihai Malaimare Jr.
Director of Photography
Milena Canonero
Costume Design
Arlene Martin
Hairstylist
Lindsay McAllister
Hairstylist
Valli O'Reilly
Makeup Department Head
Scott Johnson
On Set Dresser
Daniel Ezralow
Choreographer
Noah Bain Garret
Fight Choreographer
Eleanor Coppola
In Memory Of
Buddy Joe Hooker
Stunt Coordinator
Jason Gupton
Stunt Coordinator
Aaron Matthews
Stunt Double
Floyd Anthony Johns Jr.
Stunt Double
Steven Shelby
Stunt Double
Charlie Picerni
Stunt Driver
Kevin Waterman
Stunt Driver
Ben Aycrigg
Stunts
Brent Bernhard
Stunts
Chad Crumley
Stunts
Dan Mast
Stunts
Dean Grimes
Stunts
Dena Sodano
Stunts
Duke Jackson
Stunts
Gregory L. Wilson II
Stunts
Josh Diogo
Stunts
Marcelle Coletti
Stunts
Marvin Ross
Stunts
Max Bojorquez
Stunts
Meredith Richardson
Stunts
Miles Brew
Stunts
Nancy Young
Stunts
Nick DeKay
Stunts
Remington Steele
Stunts
Ryan Green
Stunts
Barry Levinson
Thanks
Brad Bird
Thanks
George Lucas
Thanks
Georgia Kacandes
Thanks
Guillermo del Toro
Thanks
Jessica Campbell
Thanks
John Milius
Thanks
Jon Favreau
Thanks
Kevin Lee
Thanks
Matthew Robbins
Thanks
Mike Figgis
Thanks
Robert Legato
Thanks
Ryan Coogler
Thanks
Sam Levinson
Thanks
Steven Soderbergh
Thanks
Walter Murch
Thanks
Jaye Tyroff
Utility Stunts
Akshay Bhatia
Assistant Director Trainee
Francis Ford Coppola
Director
Mariela Comitini
First Assistant Director
Roman Coppola
Second Unit Director
Christopher Donaldson
Additional Editor
Eric Tiede
ADR Voice Casting
Courtney Bright
Casting
Nicole Daniels
Casting
Mariela Comitini
Co-Producer
Anahid Nazarian
Executive Producer
Barrie M. Osborne
Executive Producer
Francis Ford Coppola
Producer
Fred Roos
Producer
Chris Navarro
ADR Mixer
Goro Koyama
Foley Artist
Osvaldo Golijov
Orchestrator
Grace VanderWaal
Original Music Composer
Osvaldo Golijov
Original Music Composer
Francis Ford Coppola
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