EXCLUSIVE: Francis Ford Coppola‘s Megalopolis has sold to key independent buyers in Europe’s top five territories, we can reveal.
Ahead of its anticipated world premiere at this week’s Cannes Film Festival the movie has sold to Constantin Film for Germany and all German-speaking territories, including Switzerland and Austria; Eagle Pictures for Italy; Tripictures for Spain; and Entertainment Film Distributors Limited for the U.K. A deal with Le Pacte for France was announced last week.
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The movie debuts on May 16 in Cannes with cast Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, D.B. Sweeney, and Dustin Hoffman set to tread the red carpet.
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Coppola’s longtime lawyer, Barry Hirsch, and Goodfellas President Vincent Maraval brokered the new Megalopolis deals with Constantin Film’s Oliver Berben and Gero Worstbrock (Germany), Eagle Pictures’ Tarak Ben Ammar (Italy), Entertainment Film Distributors Limited’s Nigel Green (U.K.), and Tripictures’ Felipe, Luis and Sandra Ortiz (Spain). Hirsch and Maraval also handled the deal with Jean Labadie’s Le Pacte for France. Release dates have yet to be set and the international rollout is unlikely to begin before the U.S., we hear.
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Interestingly, we understand these deals are for theatrical rights and that TV and VOD rights have been held back by Coppola’s team, potentially paving the way for a global streamer-type deal down the line. But that piece of the puzzle has yet to be set, and neither is the U.S. distributor. We could potentially know more on that front after the big-budget film’s premiere this week. What’s clear tonight is that a group of the international market’s biggest and most respected distributors have jumped in for Megalopolis, which is a uniquely (self) funded and uniquely starry movie from one of cinema’s all time greats.
Said Tarak Ben Ammar, President of Eagle Pictures: “Adding Megalopolis to Eagle’s roster is a dream come true. Not only has the greatest director of our time delivered a commercial film which perfectly fits our theatrical slate, it’s a groundbreaking cinematic experience.”
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Commented Oliver Berben, Chairman of the Executive Board of Constantin Film: “Megalopolis is a project close to our hearts—not only for Coppola, but also for us. It makes us incredibly proud to bring it to theaters in Germany. This film has what it takes to become a cult classic and I can’t wait for more people to see it. Megalopolis is more than just great entertainment, it’s an allegory, a vision of the future.”
In a rare public statement Nigel Green, Managing Director, Entertainment Film Distributors, said: “It is an honour and a delight to have a film from one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema on our slate. Megalopolis is a very special film that makes you believe again in the unique experience of cinema.”
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Said Felipe Ortiz, President of Tripictures: “For Tripictures, it is an honor to have the opportunity to release Megalopolis in Spain. This film is one more masterpiece from the great Francis Ford Coppola that we know will touch all the audiences and remain a legacy in everybody’s mind.”
The official logline for the film reads: “Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.”
Written, produced, and directed by Coppola, pic is produced by Fred Roos, Barry Hirsch, and Michael Bederman, and executive-produced by Anahid Nazarian, Barrie Osbourne, and Darren Demetre.
Coppola is one of a handful of directors to have won the Cannes Palme d’Or twice: for The Conversation in 1974 and Apocalypse Now in 1979.
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It’s a business, not a garden party. There probably have been some offers with very low advances that have been turned down.
The word from intelligent buyers is it’s not commercial.
None of his original film scripts have been successful, either commercially or critically, so why would this one be different?
Grace or disgrace have nothing to do with this.
LMAO. The Rain People. The Conversation, which won Palm D’Or and was nominated for both Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The Rainmaker. None of them co-written by ANYONE.
And how many decades ago were those films? There’s your answer.
The jury’s out on “The Conversation”. I’ll grant you that. “The Rain People” was a failure. “The Rainmaker” was based on the novel by Grisham and co-adapted.
Wow, somebody’s a real Coppola-hater. What do you normally watch? Marvel flicks?
No hate. Just objectivity.
If one is a serious student of film, the clear difference between his original screenplays and adaptations of directing of screenplays by others Is significant and worth recognizing.
Why is that hard to understand? Why does it trigger a defensive, emotional response? Are you a relative?
Disgraceful no US distribution hasn’t yet picked this up.
Why are you surprised? There are no superheroes, nor is it a “reboot” of a comic book, cartoon character, older movie, etc.
It’s a business, not a garden party. There probably have been some offers with very low advances that have been turned down.
The word from intelligent buyers is it’s not commercial.
None of his original film scripts adapted into films have been successful, either commercially or critically, so why would this one be different?
Grace or disgrace have nothing to do with this.
Amen
Nice. It’ll all come work out. Can’t wait to see it.
I find this fascinating. No US interest and what appear to be either marginal distributors in Europe, or low advances paid, or the fact that Europeans are supportive of independent art films in a way we are not in the US.
I still think it’s highly unlikely this film will perform because it’s an original script by Coppola, and he’s terrible at original stories.
Given his wife’s recent death, I feel somewhat creepy writing that, but this is a business, and we’re talking a $125 million investment, so observations on the vitality of a film product can be objectively and professionally cold.
Time will tell, and that will be in about a week.