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Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola's massive flop Megalopolis is the new Apocalypse Now... says Francis Ford Coppola himself

"Apocalypse Now was a big flop, it got terrible reviews, everyone said it was the worst movie ever made. And yet people never stopped going to see it," explains the director in a recent interview

News by Graeme McMillan, Editor

Published on Mon May 12 2025

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Despite being critically planned (and a massive commercial flop) on its initial release, Francis Ford Coppola’s epic sci-fi allegory Megalopolis remains destined to be an all-time classic according to its director — and his belief in the movie is the reason why American audiences can’t see it at home right now, or anytime soon.

Asked by GQ why the movie isn’t available in the US on DVD or streaming despite originally being released back in September 2024, the legendary filmmaker said, simply, “Because the film is still being shown in theaters. I don’t want anyone to own it.”

(The movie is, in fact, available to buy physically albeit only as imported discs, and had been temporarily released to stream in the US before Coppola pulled it.)

The movie’s continued presence in theaters — albeit in limited engagement, although Coppola seems to believe that might change, judging by his attitude — speaks to both the long tail of cinema history and where America is as a country right now, claims the director behind Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and One From the Heart.

“After the election, people are selling out screenings of Megalopolis — the way it was intended to be seen,” he continued. “Being that it was so prophetic or prescient to say America is like Rome — it’s going to maybe lose its republic — now people are rushing to see it in theaters. We sold out three screenings in Boston recently, in Detroit, and people are really lining up. It’s just like what happened with Apocalypse Now. Apocalypse Now was a big flop, it got terrible reviews, everyone said it was the worst movie ever made. And yet people never stopped going to see it. The same thing is now happening with Megalopolis.”

While Megalopolis is in no rush to break the box office streak of something like, say, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners — on track to make at least $330 million internationally by the time it leaves theaters — it’s interesting to see that Coppola is definitely looking at the movie in terms of the long game. Who knows? Maybe he’s even right that future audiences will consider it a masterpiece.

And, if nothing else, those who wish they could watch at home can always buy the comic. (Originally announced as an Image Comics project, it’s now set for an October 2025 release from Abrams ComicArts.

Edited to clarify that Megalopolis is available to buy as imported discs.

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Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.