Francis Ford Coppola's latest film, Megalopolis, faced numerous public relations challenges even before its trailer was pulled due to the inclusion of AI-generated fake movie review quotes. The trailer was intended to quell concerns about the director, known for The Godfather trilogy, overcoming negative buzz. However, if current box office projections for Megalopolis are accurate, it may have a lower opening weekend than the Borderlands movie.
According to Variety, Megalopolis is expected to debut with a weekend gross between $5 million and $7 million. In contrast, Borderlands opened with $8.6 million and ultimately earned a disappointing $32.9 million worldwide against a $120 million budget. Megalopolis reportedly also cost $120 million to produce, with Coppola personally funding most of it after major studios declined to back the project. The director has been working on this film for years and resorted to self-financing when no studio would support him.
Coppola assembled an A-list cast for Megalopolis, featuring Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, and Dustin Hoffman. Driver plays Cesar Catilina, an architect with the ability to control space and time, who aims to reimagine his decaying city, New Rome. Meanwhile, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Esposito) seeks to preserve the status quo at all costs.
Earlier this year, background performers from a club scene in Megalopolis accused Coppola of inappropriate physical contact with female extras, including kisses to 'get them in the mood.' Coppola denied the allegations and sued Variety over the initial report. This incident further tarnished the film's public image.
Megalopolis is set to release in theaters on Friday, September 27.
