The fact that this is even a story, to begin with, has to do with just how long “Megalopolis” has been in production. Francis Ford Coppola first conceived of his epic Roman parallel all the way back in the 1980s, being in various states of production until finally starting second unit production in New York … right before the September 11, 2001 attacks. Needless to say, production was promptly shut down, relegating it once again to production limbo.
The project was considered abandoned until 2019 when it was revealed that Coppola intended to revisit the project. While progress was slow, its star-studded cast was revealed throughout 2022 and production began in Atlanta using LED technology made famous in projects like “The Mandalorian.” However, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, these stages may be scrapped as a cost-saving measure.
We aren’t going to lie and pretend like this report doesn’t hurt at least a little bit. Coppola is a genius who deserves to have his fullest vision realized. However, potentially unmanageable working conditions should not be tolerated, especially after IATSE barely avoided a nationwide strike back in 2021. We hope that “Megalopolis” is able to finally be released, but it can’t be at the cost of production workers.