Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola's Passion Project)

[StS]

Coppola began writing Megalopolis in the 1980s but knew that it would require a huge budget, so he kept it on a shelf for decades – before deciding to push it into production (and retain creative control) by funding it out of his own pocket, reportedly dropping upwards of $120 million into it. He sold off part of his winery estate in Northern California to raise that much money.

The story digs into what happens when an accident causes the destruction of a New York City-like metropolis that is decaying anyway, bringing clashing visions of the future. On one side is an ambitious architectural idealist Caesar. On the other is his sworn enemy, city Mayor Frank Cicero. The debate becomes whether to embrace the future and build a utopia with renewable materials, or take a business-as-usual rebuild strategy, replete with concrete, corruption and power brokering at the expense of a restless underclass. In between their struggle is the mayor's socialite daughter Julia, a restless young woman who grew up around power and tires of being a tabloid fixture looking for meaning in her life.

In addition to Driver and Emmanuel, the cast includes Forest Whitaker, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Chloe Fineman, Kathryn Hunter, Dustin Hoffman, DB Sweeney, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Bailey Ives, Grace Vanderwaal, and James Remar.

(Joblo.com)