Francis Ford Coppola’s 2024 release of Megalopolis was not successful, but a new movie coming this year could finally redeem it. Throughout a decades-long career, Francis Ford Coppola’s movies have been among the best of all time, including the legendary Academy Award-winning hits The Godfather and Apocalypse Now.

Not everything the director has made has been a success. The filmmaker accepted a Razzie Award for Worst Director in 2024, making an insightful and inspiring post about the dynamic value of controversial art on his social media. Megalopolis was not his first movie to receive less-positive attention, with other projects like Jack and Gardens of Stone disappointing.

Fortunately, it won’t be long before Francis Ford Coppola’s work is explored on screen once again, although it will be in a notably different format. After Coppola’s recent hospitalization reminded audiences that the 86-year-old director won’t be around forever, his body of work can now be examined through a new, reflective lens.

Megadoc Tells The Story Of Coppola’s Pᴀssion Project Bomb, Megalopolis

Megadoc is a new film by Mike Figgis that will dive deep into the production of Coppola’s Megalopolis, and it could be even more compelling than the original movie. Initially thought up in the late 1970s, when nearing the end of production on Apocalypse Now, Coppola dedicated much of his life to making Megalopolis.

The director wished to make a Roman epic with a science fiction gloss. Fascinated by movies like Metropolis, as well as the Catilinarian conspiracy, Coppola wished to make a film about the importance of freedom and expression.

In the 1980s, Coppola set aside time to develop the project, resulting in various scripts. From there, it remained in the back of his mind as he made other films. He always planned on finishing it, but never found the right opportunity.

Envisioned on a humongous scale, the iconoclastic project was difficult to convince the major studios to fund. Eventually, the director had to use his own money to make the film, selling off a portion of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery to generate the required funds.

Unfortunately, the box office was not kind to Megalopolis, earning only $14 million against a budget of at least $120 million. The film was a colossal failure commercially, but it’s response from both critics and audiences was more mixed. ScreenRant‘s Megalopolis review was among several very positive responses, while many others were vehemently negative.

This disparity in reviews reflects the unusual appeal of Megalopolis. It is a genuinely unique film, with some unsettling narrative and stylistic choices. At times, the acting is over-the-top and theatrical, and as a modern fable, it comes along with concepts that are grounded in their narrative purpose rather than in-universe logic.

With an all-time great director, a cast that includes Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, among others, and an enormous budget, much of which is clearly seen in the effects onscreen, Megalopolis is an essential cultural product. Examining that in a documentary like this one will help to bring some much-needed context.

Seeing Figgis’ behind-the-scenes document will help to dissect some of the controversial choices that Coppola made during the making of the film. Figgis is best known for directing the film Leaving Las Vegas, but has made other, smaller films, including Miss Julie and Stormy Monday.

How Megadoc Could Change Things For Megalopolis

As it stands, Megalopolis is not available on streaming or disc except in some limited territories. The only way to see the film domestically recently has been through a roadshow release Coppola has been doing, touring with the film to six cities across the USA. No further release is currently planned.

This is a travesty. Megalopolis is a very special film that deserves to be seen on the big screen and the small screen for many more years to come. Fortunately, Megadoc could reignite interest in the 2024 project, which could result in Megalopolis being able to secure further releases, both in theatres and at home.

In addition, Megadoc could give audiences the chance to understand that Megalopolis is an important movie. The 2024 film is a wholly singular work of art, which makes it hard to judge against blockbuster cinema. A wide release for a film of this type was a bold choice, and it is not surprising that it was not a commercial success.

This new documentary may cause viewers to reappraise the original film. There is much to appreciate in Megalopolis, and understanding the craft behind it will likely go a long way in changing some minds. Some great works of art take time to be appreciated, and Megalopolis may be one of these.

Regardless of how one feels about Megalopolis, the film is an extremely interesting project from one of the most celebrated directors of all time. For posterity’s sake, if nothing else, it should be available for viewing in some capacity.

It is certainly possible, and perhaps even likely, for Megadoc to be considered a better movie than Megalopolis. This exciting look at one of the masters of cinema at work on his pᴀssion project, especially considering its subsequent box office failure, makes Megadoc one of the most exciting films of this year. It will premiere in North America at TIFF.