Megalopolis: run time, age rating and the problems Francis Ford Coppola's "dream film" faced

• Francis Ford Coppola’s long-envisioned “Megalopolis” is finally hitting cinemas this week.
• The film, a passion project for “The Godfather” director, stars Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito and Dustin Hoffman.
• But ahead of the film’s opening in UK cinemas, has “Megalopolis” been worth the wait, and why the long delay with its release?

After decades of production hell, hold ups and a pandemic to boot, one of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s biggest cinematic visions is finally released with “Megalopolis.”

The film has been an idea of Coppola’s since the 1980s, describing the film as a “deeply personal work” drawing inspiration from Fritz Lang’s 1927 sci-fi landmark, “Metropolis,” with the original black-and-white feature drawing on the same themes of class struggle in a utopian society “Megalopolis” does.

Yet, forty years later and huge advancements in technology have finally led “The Godfather” director to realise his vision, with the film making its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival - but despite the hype, certain behind the scenes reports may have tainted its final form.

Reports emerged regarding the conduct on the set of “Megalopolis,” claims that Coppola not only has strongly denied but also began a libel lawsuit against those who published the claims. There then was an issue about distribution, with some reports suggesting that Coppola demanded a higher fee for the rights, hence the lack of immediate release information after its world premiere.

So after all the fighting to get the work out into the world, is “Megalopolis” worth checking out when it’s released in the UK this weekend?

What is “Megalopolis” about?

The official synopsis for “Megalopolis” reads: “In a decaying metropolis called New Rome, idealist architect Cesar Catilina is granted a licence by the federal government to demolish and rebuild the city as a sustainable utopia using Megalon, a material that can give him the power to control space and time.

“His nemesis, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, remains committed to a regressive status quo. Torn between them is Franklyn's socialite daughter and Cesar's love interest Julia, who, tired of the influence she inherited, searches for her life's meaning.”

Why did it take so long for “Megalopolis” to be made?

Coppola conceived Megalopolis as early as the 1980s, envisioning it as a sprawling epic exploring the rebuilding of a utopian version of New York City. However, the scale and ambition of the film meant that it would require a significant budget—one that Coppola struggled to secure for decades. 

Coppola’s own financial difficulties in the 1990s and early 2000s, exacerbated by some of his ventures outside of filmmaking (such as his winery), further delayed his ability to fund Megalopolis himself. The film was always intended to be an expensive production, which made it difficult to move forward without significant financial backing.

Even after securing financing and moving forward with production in 2022, Megalopolis faced numerous challenges. Coppola's unconventional filmmaking style, creative clashes with crew members, and the firing of much of the visual effects team led to delays and increased the film’s budget.

As time passed, technology and filmmaking techniques evolved, which allowed Coppola to explore new ways of realising his ambitious vision for Megalopolis. Virtual production stages, extensive use of green screens, and advancements in visual effects opened new possibilities that weren’t available when he first conceived the project, further influencing his decision to move forward.

Who stars in “Megalopolis?”

With this being Francis Ford Coppola’s biggest cinematic vision, so comes an incredible cast of A-List performers including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Eposito and Laurence Fishburne providing narration throughout the film.

• Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina
• Giancarlo Esposito as Mayor Franklyn Cicero
• Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero
• Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum
• Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher
• Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III
• Laurence Fishburne as Fundi Romaine
• Jason Schwartzman as Jason Zanderz
• Kathryn Hunter
• Grace VanderWaal as Vesta Sweetwater
• Chloe Fineman as Clodia Pulcher
• James Remar as Charles Cothope
• D. B. Sweeney as Commissioner Stanley Hart
• Isabelle Kusman as Claudine Pulcher
• Bailey Ives as Huey Wilkes
• Madeleine Gardella as Claudette Pulcher
• Balthazar Getty as Aram Kazanjian
• Romy Mars as Girl Reporter
• Haley Sims as Sunny Hope Catilina
• Dustin Hoffman as Nush Berman

How long is “Megalopolis?”

According to IMDB, “Megalopolis” has a run time of 138 minutes, or in layman's terms 2 hours and 18 minutes in total.

What age rating is “Megalopolis?”

The British Board of Film Classification has rated “Megalopolis” as a 15 rated film due to “strong language, violence, sex, drug misuse.”

In their summary for the reasons why the film was rated a 15, the BBFC explained: “An architect’s ambitions to rebuild a city as a futuristic utopia are challenged by its warring ruling families in this fantastical US drama, in which the evils of power and hedonism are depicted.”

Have early reviews for “Megalopolis” been positive or negative?

Polarising. The premiere at Cannes Film Festival really did divide audiences and critics alike, with “Megalopolis” currently sitting on a score of 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, leaving it with a “rotten” rating.

The critics consensus states that the film is “more of a creative manifesto than a cogent narrative feature, Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis is an overstuffed opus that's equal parts stimulating and slapdash,” with perhaps the most savage of comments coming from Impulse Gamer who wrote “Francis Ford Coppola only had a concept of a plan. This is a poor film that fails to sustain its dramatic tension or fully utilise its rich cast.”

“Megalopolis” is out in UK cinemas on Friday September 27 2024 including Vue and Odeon. Those who have an Odeon MyLIMITLESS membership can watch the film as part of your membership this month - for more details on what MyLIMITLESS offers cinema goers, visit the official webpage on the Odeon’s website.