Francis Ford Coppola explained why Megalopolis still isn’t on any streaming platforms or available on digital nearly eight months after its initial release. The story of Coppola’s most recent movie follows the leading figures in the fictional city of New Rome in an alternate version of the United States. The film depicts a utopian future, and features an all-star cast, which includes Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, and Shia LaBeouf. However, ever since its release, reviews for Megalopolis have been mixed, and some have called it one of Coppola’s worst movies.

Even though Megalopolis was a much-talked-about film leading up to its release, its underwhelming reviews led to it bombing at the box office. Despite this, the film is still not available to stream anywhere and cannot be purchased on digital. In a recent interview with GQ, Coppola explained why he has not released Megalopolis on streaming and on digital yet. He insisted that there has been renewed interest in the movie after the American presidential election, and claimed it is still selling out in theaters. Read his full comments below:

Because the film is still being shown in theaters. I don’t want anyone to own it. After the election, people are selling out screenings of Megalopolis—the way it was intended to be seen. Being that it was so prophetic or prescient to say America is like Rome—it’s going to maybe lose its republic—now people are rushing to see it in theaters. We sold out three screenings in Boston recently, in Detroit, and people are really lining up. It’s just like what happened with Apocalypse Now. Apocalypse Now was a big flop, it got terrible reviews, everyone said it was the worst movie ever made. And yet people never stopped going to see it. The same thing is now happening with Megalopolis.

What Francis Ford Coppola’s Comments Mean For Megalopolis

Coppola Believes Megalopolis Is Misunderstood

Since Coppola funded Megalopolis himself, he has full ownership of the movie. Usually, studios will make a deal with streaming services and determine when a film will become available on digital platforms. However, in Megalopolis’ case, its streaming and digital future is entirely up to Coppola. The acclaimed filmmaker reportedly spent $120 million of his own money to fund his most recent movie, and also had to cover the marketing costs. Unfortunately, Coppola’s risky investment didn’t pay off, as Megalopolis has only grossed $14 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo).

Despite its underwhelming box office performance, Coppola clearly wants Megalopolis to stay in theaters for as long as possible, as he intended for audiences to see it on the big screen. Almost eight months after the release of the movie, the director is still defending Megalopolis’ negative reviews by comparing it to Apocalypse Now. While it is commonly regarded as one of Francis Ford Coppola’s best movies, Apocalypse Now also flopped at the box office and was initially panned by critics. Therefore, it seems like Coppola believes that public opinion about Megalopolis will change as time goes on.

Our Take On Francis Ford Coppola’s Comments About Megalopolis

Megalopolis Is Ambitious But Underwhelming

In addition to keeping the movie in theaters, Coppola also recently announced a Megalopolis graphic novel. Based on the amount of money he invested into the project and the work he is still doing to spread the story of New Rome, it is clear that Coppola is very pᴀssionate about Megalopolis. It is undeniable that Megalopolis tells a very ambitious story, which deserves some praise. However, unfortunately, Coppola’s most recent movie is quite sloppy and has failed to engage audiences. Therefore, despite Coppola’s comments, I doubt that public opinion on Megalopolis will change that much in the coming years.

Source: GQ