Nearly everybody skipped Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis when it launched in 2024, however the legendary filmmaker is giving moviegoers a second likelihood to witness his sci-fi imaginative and prescient on the massive display screen.
In considerably of a shock announcement, the director stated on social media that Megalopolis will probably be re-released on New Yr’s Day 2026 in choose Alamo Drafthouse places. He went on to clarify the explanation why he’s placing the much-discussed flop again in theaters.
“It’s my hope that each New Yr’s Day Megalopolis will develop into a fulcrum of debate concerning the betterment of society and humanity,” Coppola stated, seeming to point that he plans on re-releasing the movie yearly on New Yr’s Day.
Coppola’s movie makes an attempt to foster dialog about massive issues like society and humanity via a story that attracts on actual Roman historical past whereas depicting a near-future alternate-reality New York.
The legendary director reportedly spent $120 million of his personal cash to make Megalopolis, and watched it gross simply $14 million on the field workplace. Within the wake of the movie’s huge under-performance, Coppola determined to not make it out there for buy by way of streaming or bodily media, explaining his reasoning in a Could 2025 GQ interview:
As a result of the movie continues to be being proven in theaters. I don’t need anybody to personal it. After the election, persons are promoting out screenings of Megalopolis—the way in which it was supposed to be seen. Being that it was so prophetic or prescient to say America is like Rome—it’s going to possibly lose its republic—now persons are dashing to see it in theaters.
Critics have been wildly divided of their response to Megalopolis when it first screened again in 2024, as is indicated by its 45% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
ScreenRant’s Megalopolis evaluate was extra optimistic than many, saying “It would’ve taken over 40 years to get the movie made, however Megalopolis is an achievement in cinema and nicely definitely worth the wait.”
The evaluate went on, “It is an orderly, boisterous expertise that deliberately heightens all of the senses to make sure we really feel the magnitude of its gorgeous world.”
Megalopolis was dogged from the start by stories of behind-the-scenes chaos, together with allegations that Coppola behaved inappropriately with feminine extras. Coppola reportedly clashed with crew members, firing the complete artwork division at one level, whereas additionally butting heads with some members of the forged.
Regardless of all of the detrimental buzz across the film, Coppola stays steadfast in his perception that it’ll discover its viewers, evaluating Megalopolis’ long-tail potential to the profitable path adopted by one in every of his previous masterpieces (by way of The Each day Beast):
“That is precisely what occurred with Apocalypse Now 40 years in the past. There have been very contradicting views expressed, however the viewers by no means stopped going to see the movie, and to this present day Apocalypse Now continues to be in very worthwhile distribution. I’m certain this would be the similar state of affairs with Megalopolis. It should stand the take a look at of time.”
Alamo Drafthouse places in 11 cities will assist Coppola obtain his Megalopolis goals on January 1, 2026.