Francis Ford Coppola's first film in eight years is heading to Cannes this May as his four-decades-in-the-making Megalopolis will premiere in competition at the renowned festival.
Coppola has described Megalopolis as the "most interesting film of [his] career", a big statement from the veteran director behind The Godfather and Apocalypse Now.
Megalopolis charts the story of an architect who wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.
It stars an ensemble cast of Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kathryn Hunter, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Chloe Fineman and James Remar.
Coppola made the announcement that his film would be heading to Cannes via Instagram, saying: "I am beyond honored to return to @festivaldecannes this year."
The five-time Oscar winner has taken a gamble on his passion project, financing it with his own $120 million and no confirmed distribution.
Now, reports say that studio execs from some of Hollywood's biggest hitters have seen the film, and they're not fancying the risk.
The Hollywood Reporter shared that one studio head even went as far as to say, "It's so not good, and it was so sad watching it. Anybody who puts P&A behind it, you're going to lose money. This is not how Coppola should end his directing career".
According to THR, Coppola envisions a big marketing campaign, one that could cost a studio somewhere in the realm of $100 million globally, but the way first reactions have unfolded, it's not looking likely.
However, with Cannes on the horizon, there could be a shift in mood if studios see audiences responding to Megalopolis with fervor.
More must-reads: