Legendary Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola is Coming to The Texas Theatre

By and large, Megalopolis was the laughingstock of the film industry in 2024, as Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed science fiction epic debuted to scathing reviews at the Cannes Film Festival before having one of the worst box office disappointments in modern film history.

While some reviewers suggested that 86-year-old Oscar winner was out of touch, Coppola has not backed down from the criticism, as he is set to appear at the Texas Theatre on July 29. The event will include a projection screening of Megalopolis, followed by an in-depth interactive discussion and Q&A called “How to yChange Our Future.”

An appearance by a filmmaker as legendary as Coppola is exciting in its own right, but the opportunity to see Megalopolis at all is a surprisingly exclusive one. After a brief period of online availability following its disastrous theatrical release, the film was pulled from digital platforms, presumably to drum up interest for Coppola’s screening tour.

Described as “a Roman Epic set in an imagined Modern America,” Megalopolis was first conceived by Coppola in 1977. While the technology did not then exist for Coppola to realize his vision, he spent decades of development before deciding to personally finance the film using funds from his namesake winery.

Despite divisive and bewildered responses, Coppola has stood ten toes down in his insistence that Megalopolis will “stand the test of time,” and has compared reactions to those of his 1979 masterpiece, Apocalypse Now.

The goal of the screening series tour is to conduct conversations about the film’s themes, such as artistic exceptionalism, political polarization and revisionist narratives. Although certain lines have been widely mocked online (Adam Driver’s delivery of “go back to the club” went viral), more profound quotes such as “don’t let the now destroy the forever” are more insightful than their unfavorable critiques suggest.

It certainly wouldn’t be the first instance in which one of Coppola’s films experienced a critical re-appreciation. While his legendary ‘70s run of The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather: Part II and Apocalypse Now is cited as one of the best in film history, the subsequent decade saw the commercial failure of ambitious efforts such as Tucker: The Man and His Dream, The Cotton Club and One From The Heart. While none had quite as infamous a reputation as Megalopolis, the film still has its defenders, as Indiewire recently listed the film as one of the best of this decade so far.

Is Megalopolis a misunderstood work of genius that will prove to be ahead of its time? North Texas cinephiles are lucky enough to have the chance to decide for themselves next month.

Tickets for the screening can be found here.