Well, Francis Ford Coppola did say he was “sure” it would all work out. And now it’s official: Lionsgate Studios will distribute Coppola’s divisive film Megalopolis in the U.S.
In a press release today, Lionsgate, which also distributed Coppola’s famed war film Apocalypse Now Final Cut, said the Adam Driver, Dustin Hoffman, and Shia LaBeouf starrer will be released in domestic theaters and in IMAX on September 27, 2024.
The self-financed $120 million film has had a rough go of it, with several Hollywood insiders anonymously expressing their dissatisfaction with the film to The Hollywood Reporter with phrases like “not good” and hard to “position.” Those insiders also said Coppola would face an uphill battle in finding distribution, as sales agents told the site the movie was too “experimental” and hard to “position.” One suggested that maybe “a small, specialized label” would pick it up, since the movie would be a hard sell to a mass audience.
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Following its premiere at Cannes, where it received more mixed reviews, it seemed doubtful that enough people, let alone distributors who would have to front money, would get the film. But Coppola told The Daily Beast in April that he had the same experience with Apocalypse Now, which turned out to be a humongous hit. “I am sure this will be the same situation with Megalopolis,” he said at the time.
Whether or not the film will be received well by the masses, Coppola can certainly say “I told you so,” today with the news of his Lionsgate deal.
“The agreement extends the studio’s longstanding partnership with Coppola and his American Zoetrope banner,” the release reads. “Lionsgate Studios previously distributed many of the visionary filmmaker’s greatest masterpieces on home entertainment, including Apocalypse Now Final Cut, The Conversation, The Cotton Club Encore, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, and One From the Heart: Reprise. Lionsgate Studios will also handle the distribution of Megalopolis across all home entertainment platforms.”
