Francis Ford Coppola has frequently scoffed at the idea that Megalopolis is a passion project, but the $120 million movie’s opening weekend projections are making it look more and more like a personal vanity project. While there are some who are intrigued by the maelstrom of contradictory reviews about the movie, Variety has reported that the movie’s box office debut is not going to make good reading for Coppola’s bank balance and is still looking at a $5-7 million projection.
Coppola has put his heart, soul, and a shedload of money into making Megalopolis a reality. However, movies that spend many years in development hell, and are subsequently funded by their creator usually fall into two distinct categories. There are low-budget movies that go on to surprise everyone with what they have achieved on a shoestring and easily make back their miniscule costs, and then there are multi-million dollar spectacles that are the vision and pet project of industry giants who have the ability to indulge in making something they want to make – we are looking to Mr. Costner on this one.
While it has become clear that Megalopolis is the type of movie that will end up being an underappreciated classic of its time, that will probably not help the film’s chances of making a substantial dent in its mega budget. If the single-digit debut from its 1,700 theater opening in North America holds true, then it would seem that Coppola will have delivered one of his most personal movies at a great cost to himself.
Megalopolis Will Still Find an Audience
While a crushing theatrical debut would at one time have been the end of a movie – at least until it was rediscovered decades later – Megalopolis will probably not have to wait too long for some kind of redemption. Regardless of how the figures tally up during its cinema run, the film will be subsequently released on streaming platforms around the world, and this is where the movie can really discover its audience.
Like Kevin Costner’s Horizon, Megalopolis is a movie that has been dominating the headlines for many months, from reported production issues through to its rapturous film festival debuts and subsequent mixed reviews. However, those headlines do not drive people into cinemas, as many these days don’t want to pay the price of a cinema ticket to see something they don’t know if they will like or not. Instead, they are happy to wait a couple of months until these movies make their streaming debut.
Currently, there has been no word where Megalopolis could land, but it is likely that Prime Video or Netflix will be top of TheShockNews. In the meantime, those who are intrigued enough by the strange world Megalopolis has to offer will be able to see it in cinemas from September 27.