Adam Driver's character twist revealed in 'Megalopolis' first look teaser
What's the story
The long wait has finally come to an end!
The first look at Francis Ford Coppola's highly-anticipated sci-fi film, Megalopolis, has been released.
The clip reveals a significant plot twist involving the character played by Adam Driver.
This movie—which has been years in the making due to various production challenges—is backed by a hefty $120M budget.
It is set to premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot twist
Time-stopping twist adds thrill to 'Megalopolis'
Unveiled on Coppola's personal YouTube channel, the trailer captivates with breathtaking visuals, offering a glimpse into the enigmatic world of Driver's character, Cesar.
Clocking in at over two minutes, the teaser unveils a surprising twist: Cesar's extraordinary ability to halt time.
In a heart-pounding moment, Cesar teeters on the brink of a skyscraper, commanding, "Time! Stop!" as the world freezes around him, preventing him from falling.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the teaser trailer here
Time Stop 🛑 !!!!
— FDFS Chandra (@saichndra) May 4, 2024
First Teaser of #Megapolisfeaturing #AdamDriver is here….
pic.twitter.com/5ZjtMTrR9E
Storyline unveiled
A vision of utopia amid societal conflict
Megalopolis explores the grand vision of transforming New York City into a utopia following a catastrophic event.
The plot delves into the clash between an architect's utopian dream and societal norms, represented by antagonist Cicero, played by Giancarlo Esposito.
Caught in the middle is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor's daughter, whose affection for Cesar forces her to confront her beliefs about humanity's destiny.
Team
Meet the team behind 'Megapolis'
Megalopolis boasts a lineup of esteemed actors, with Driver leading alongside Esposito, Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Dustin Hoffman among others.
Coppola serves as both writer and director, with Fred Roos, Barry Hirsch, and Michael Bederman handling production duties.
Describing its plot, Coppola elaborated, "It's a love story that is also a philosophical investigation of the nature of man; it's set in New York, but a New York steeped in echoes of ancient Rome."
Film financing
A risky self-funded venture of Coppola
Despite being considered an "uncommercial" project and facing distribution challenges in the US and UK markets, French distributor Le Pacte has taken on the project.
Coppola personally funded Megalopolis with $120M, stating, "I couldn't care less about the financial impact whatsoever. It means nothing to me."
Meanwhile, it is a tribute to Coppola's late wife Eleanor, announced on her birthday as a "gift on her behalf" to humanity.
The matriarch of the celebrated Coppola dynasty, Eleanor passed away in April.