Decades after first conceiving of the idea for his passion project, legendary director Francis Ford Coppola has finally revealed the first footage from the star-studded Megalopolis. Coppola first began working on the script for his epic back in the 1980s, before putting it on the backburner when it became clear no one would fund the ambitious project. Now, at 84 years old, Coppola isn’t waiting on anyone else to make his dream a reality, self-financing the film. And by the looks of things, his hard work has paid off.

The film has been described as a Roman epic set in America, during the reconstruction of New York City following a disaster that wiped out all the infrastructure. The first sneak peek features Adam Driver‘s Cesar, out on the ledge of a skyscraper, walking dangerously close to the edge. In an Instagram post, Coppola shared a heartwarming and bittersweet message, revealing the movie is dedicated to his late wife Eleanor Coppola, saying:

“Megalopolis has always been a film dedicated to my dear wife Eleanor. I really had hoped to celebrate her birthday together this May 4th. But sadly that was not to be, so let me share with everyone a gift on her behalf.”

The cast of the film features some of Hollywood’s brightest talents. Leading things is Driver‘s Cesar, Forest Whitaker as the Mayor of New York. The cast also includes Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, and Shia LaBeouf. It’s also a family affair for Coppola, as his sister Talia Shire, and nephew Jason Schwartzman, both seasoned actors in their own right, also join the cast.

A Troubled Production?

The story of Megalopolis draws inspiration from the second Catiline Conspiracy, where Roman senator Lucius Sergius Catilina conspired with disgruntled aristocrats to overthrow Marcus Tullius Cicero, a conflict they would eventually lose. In Megalopolis, this takes the form of an “epic story of political ambition, genius, and dangerous love.” But while there is already plenty of drama onscreen, for a while it seemed as though the troubles had extended offscreen as well.

In early 2023, there were reports of “chaos” on set, putting the production in peril as several key creatives walked away from the project. Despite these reports, filming on the project continued as scheduled, with the shoot wrapping in late March as planned. While Coppola did confirm that there had been a significant turnover in the VFX department, he denied that this meant the production was in severe trouble.

Megalopolis will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Check out the sneak peek below:

via Collider