Francis Ford Coppola’s $14M Sci-Fi Epic Flop Gets Surprise Theatrical Re-Release To Engage “Fulcrum Of Discussion”

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Few people saw Francis Ford Coppola’s film, Megalopolis, when it came out in 2024, but the famous director is now offering audiences another opportunity to experience his science fiction movie in theaters.

Okay, this came as a real shocker! The director just announced on social media that Megalopolis is getting a re-release – can you believe it? – on New Year’s Day 2026. And it won’t be everywhere, just at select Alamo Drafthouse cinemas. He also shared why he’s bringing this, let’s be honest, pretty talked-about flop back to the big screen.

Coppola expressed his wish for his film Megalopolis to become a yearly event, sparking conversations about how to improve society and the human condition. He appears to be planning annual New Year’s Day releases of the film.

Francis Ford Coppola’s film, Megalopolis, tackles grand themes of society and what it means to be human. It tells its story using elements of ancient Rome, but sets it in a reimagined, futuristic version of New York City, aiming to spark discussion about these important ideas.

Francis Ford Coppola reportedly invested $120 million of his personal funds into his film, Megalopolis, but it only earned $14 million in theaters. After the film’s disappointing performance, Coppola did something unusual: he continued to make it available for purchase through streaming and on DVD/Blu-ray. He explained his decision in an interview with GQ magazine in May 2025.

I don’t want people to own the film while it’s still playing in cinemas. After the election, screenings of ‘Megalopolis’ are selling out, and people are experiencing it as the director intended. Given how accurately the film predicted America’s potential fate – comparing it to the fall of Rome and the loss of a republic – there’s a surge in people wanting to see it on the big screen.

When Megalopolis premiered in 2024, critics had very different reactions, reflected in its 45% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While some praised Francis Ford Coppola’s bold vision, others found the story confusing, and some felt he lost control of the narrative as the film progressed.

ScreenRant’s review of Megalopolis was notably positive, stating that despite taking over 40 years to create, the film is a cinematic achievement and worth seeing.

I was completely blown away by the experience! It’s so immersive and vibrant – everything is designed to really pull you in and make you feel how incredible this world is. It’s lively and energetic, but in a really well-structured way. It just heightens everything – sight, sound, everything – to make the scale of it all truly stunning.

From the start, the film Megalopolis faced rumors of significant problems during production. These included accusations of inappropriate behavior by director Francis Ford Coppola towards female extras. There were also reports of disagreements and conflicts with both the crew – at one point, he dismissed the entire art department – and some of the actors.

Okay, so everyone’s been pretty critical of Megalopolis, but Francis Ford Coppola isn’t backing down. He genuinely believes this film will eventually connect with viewers, and he actually compared its potential to the slow burn success of one of his classic movies. He told The Daily Beast he thinks it’ll find its audience over time, just like some of his earlier work did.

Megalopolis is likely to follow a similar path as Apocalypse Now. Despite initial mixed reactions and disagreements, Apocalypse Now continued to draw audiences and remains profitable decades later. I expect Megalopolis will also prove enduring and successful over time.

Francis Ford Coppola’s new film, Megalopolis, will premiere at Alamo Drafthouse cinemas in eleven cities on January 1, 2026.

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2025-12-11 21:21