Between Spartacus and Inception, Francis Ford Coppola’s most ambitious and spectacular project will hit theaters on September 25.

Create your future

New Rome, a modern metropolis built on the Roman model, is in complete decline and must begin a cycle of change. But Cesare Catiline (Adam Driver), a genius urban planner who can freeze time, and New Rome’s conservative mayor, Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), don’t get along.

The former dreams of a utopian future, while the latter remains tied to a regressive status quo that upholds greed. Daughter of the Mayor but in love with Cesar, Julia Cicero (Natalie Emanuela) is torn between two men and must choose what looks best for the future of humanity.

“I wanted the film to evoke a woven mural or tapestry”

Far from being thought up in haste, Megalopolis is one of the oldest and personal projects of the great Francis Ford Coppola. The visionary filmmaker, who has won Oscars, Golden Globes, Venice Film Festivals and Cannes Film Festivals for legendary works like The Godfather Trilogy, Apocalypse Now and his Dracula adaptation, has been working on the project since…almost. 50 years!

Ready to do everything to shape this pharaonic work according to his will, the 83-year-old director did not hesitate to sell part of the land to finance it and maintain his artistic independence. the result An unclassifiable feature film, halfway between an ancient epic and a modern blockbuster, borrowing their grandeur and richness from the greatest mythological and cinematic stories.

New Rome, reminiscent of the American Big Apple in its density and eclecticism (or even Gotham City, which the vigilante Batman has made his territory), appears as a multi-purpose megalopolis. Indeed, if the functioning of its institutions is built on an old model, a sad era perceived as the end of civil society, its infrastructure could not be more futuristic, leading to a “world city” à la Blade Runner. ” I had an idea about the style of the filmFrancis Ford Coppola explains,And at first, I wanted it to evoke a woven mural or a tapestry, rather than a film . “

Dean Sheriff, the visual designer, therefore, was invested with a capital mission: to bring to life a hybrid city, borrowed from two eras separated by almost three millennia. He explains his approach: “IIt was inspired by ancient paintings depicting Rome during the Empire era for the film’s architectural elements. The wedding took place with great fanfare in Madison Square Garden, which must have echoed the ancient Roman Colosseum. I made a draft of a project that would be able to combine all these elements into one visual by dressing up the stadium arena as the Colosseum might be for a major holiday event. Roman architecture was my main inspiration for most of the designs. I did my best to convey the energy of a lavish holiday event. Francis was impressed with this visual and therefore it was a reference for all departments.“

Led by composer Osvaldo Golijov’s epic and grandiose soundtrack, influenced by Miklos Rossa’s work on Ben Hur, the story of Megalopolis unfolds against an urban backdrop inspired by Dean Sheriff’s design work. The interiors, in turn, had to reflect all the subtleties of this esthete population in the midst of a democratic crisis, reflecting their sophistication as well as their inner struggle.

” When we shoot in an unusual environment, including the city of the futureFrancis Ford Coppola explains,I always wonder what the interior will be like. We like to build extraordinary settings, then install equally extraordinary furniture and decorative objects. But I understand that if we just put normal chairs and tables there, that they are not futuristic objects, it’s better, because they become, in a way, invisible.“

Thus, every detail of this pharaonic project was conscientiously studied by the filmmaker himself, before taking care of the smallest costume. For the patriarch of the Coppola family, his characters’ clothing should reflect their political ideas. Thus, the work of costume designer Milena Canoero is perfectly intertwined with the development of the protagonists who wear them. Cesar, an architect of the future and modernity, wears sober and practical clothes. His rival, Franklin Cicero, a conservative mayor attached to his polished image, sees his costumes reflecting his past glory with an abundance of ornamentation.

Crafted down to the smallest detail to match the ambitions of its genius director, Megalopolis is a spectacular, grand and epic masterpiece that will hit theaters on September 25.