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    Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” To Debut At Cannes Film Fest 

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1024 Views
    Francis Ford Coppola arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Nearly half a century after Francis Ford Coppola won the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, he will return to the French Riviera festival on May 17, 2024, to premiere his self-financed epic “Megalopolis”. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

    By Jake Coyle, Film Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Nearly half a century after Francis Ford Coppola won the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, he will return to the French Riviera festival to premiere his self-financed epic "Megalopolis."

    The premiere was confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday by a person close to the project who requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to make the announcement. Hollywood trade Deadline first reported that "Megalopolis" will screen in competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 17.

    The French film festival didn't immediately respond to messages Tuesday. Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux is set to announce the competition lineup Thursday in Paris. Fremaux last week told Variety that he hoped to program "Megalopolis" at this year's festival.

    "'Megalopolis' is a project that he wanted to achieve for so long and he did it independently, in his own way, as an artist," Fremaux said. "He built the legend of the Cannes Film Festival and it would be an honor to welcome him back, as a filmmaker who comes to present his new film."

    That "Megalopolis" is to screen in competition means the 85-year-old Coppola will be eligible for Cannes' Palme d'Or 45 years after he won it for "Apocalypse Now." Coppola split the Palme that year with Volker Schlöndorff's "Die Blechtrommel," but he won Cannes' top prize outright 50 years ago, for "The Conversation."

    In recent weeks, Coppola has screened "Megalopolis" for friends and family and begun shopping it to distributors. The project, which he first began conceiving in the early 1980s, cost a reported $120 million to make. Coppola put up his money with the help of his wine empire to realize a passion project about the rebuilding of a metropolis. It stars Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito, and includes a starry cast of Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Chloe Fineman, Kathryn Hunter and Dustin Hoffman.

    The Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off May 14, has previously announced premieres for George Miller's "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" and Kevin Costner's "Horizon, an American Saga." Earlier Tuesday, the festival said George Lucas will receive an honorary Palme d'Or.

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    Category:News
    Tags:Cannes Film FestivalFrancis Ford CoppolaMegalopolis



    While Aware Of Potential Oscar History Ahead, Ryan Coogler Is Focused On “Sinners” Team Before Ceremony

    Friday, March 13, 2026

    Ryan Coogler understands what Sunday night could mean for Oscar history. He's just not dwelling on it.

    Instead, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker is looking forward to spending one more night with his "Sinners" collaborators who helped bring the film to life.

    Coogler could become the first Black filmmaker to win best director in the Academy Awards' nearly century-long history. While speaking before the eighth annual Macro Pre-Oscars party Thursday night in Los Angeles, he said he's trying to stay present as the ceremony approaches.

    "I'm just trying to enjoy the days as they come, stay present in the moment," Coogler told The Associated Press. "When Sunday comes, man, I'm pull up and enjoy celebrating all the movies that's being celebrated here, including our own."

    For Coogler, the Oscars also mark the final stop in a monthslong journey shared with the cast and creative team behind "Sinners."

    Since early January, the group has traveled the awards circuit together, appearing at major stops including the Golden Globes,Actors Awards and NAACP Image Awards as the film built momentum ahead of the Oscars, where it's the leading nominee with 16.

    Coogler said that experience helped turn the production into something closer to a family.

    "We made a big ole family," he said. "Sunday kind of represents the last time that we all get to hang with each other in an official capacity as the 'Sinners' team."

    After the ceremony, those gatherings will likely become less frequent.

    "The next time we see each other, it won't be for this movie unless it's doing like a reunion or something," Coogler said. "I'm looking forward to hanging out with a lot of people that I love. We were able to do something very specific... Read More

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