Is Francis Ford Coppola dead?

Started by Duck Sauce, February 06, 2003, 12:43:58 AM

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Duck Sauce

Taking a break? Retired? What? Is he ever going to direct another movie again or just produce? What is the deal with Megalopolis?

MacGuffin

Quote from: Duck SauceWhat is the deal with Megalopolis?

Production was scheduled to start in late 2002 or early 2003, with at least some filming to be done in New York City (Coppola is considering other cities as well, like Montreal). Part of the film is being shot on digital video, using the new Sony 24p hi-def video cameras George Lucas is using on Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The budget is around $65-70 million. Filming was originally scheduled to start in early 2002, but Coppola is working on a post-September 11th rewrite. Charles Lyons of Variety also reports that Coppola has already shot over 30 hours of second unit footage, from both before and after September 11th. One of the changes being made post-September 11th is that the premise now gets its start as New York City has to rebuild from the ground up following a horrible tragedy.

Premise: This is the story of an architect who dreams of building the city of the future, hoping to enable people to live in an utopia where people only do the work they love to do... Utopia is something people have long sought. Is it attainable? (one major character is the Mayor). "The mayor is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the past, while an architect-planner is dedicated to leaping into the future. When a massive renovation project is planned for an area running from 8th Avenue to the Hudson riverbank and from 34th to 20th streets, it becomes the nexus of a battle over vision, scale and profits, involving 'every layer of society from workers, labor unions, the man on the street to the idea men, the money men and all those involved with them,' Coppola said."

How Coppola Describes It: (from BusinessWeek Online): "The setting is modern New York. It deals... with the idea that the future world we're going to live in is being negotiated today... It's kind of a shape-of-things-to-come film in which the characters are concerned with artists, businessmen, proletariat all having a stake in the future but very few of them having a hand in what it's going to be like. It's a little bit like an Ayn Rand novel" (The Fountainhead, specifically). More here: http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2000/nf20000912_919.htm

Concept art:
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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Duck Sauce


MacGuffin

Quote from: Duck SauceWhat about casting info?

Cast: None announced yet.

Cast Notes: (7/18/01) Among the stars reportedly reading for roles are Nicolas Cage, Russell Crowe, Robert De Niro, Paul Newman, Parker Posey, and Kevin Spacey.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Coppola Focusing on Making Megalopolis

The Hollywood Reporter says that MGM and director Francis Ford Coppola have ended their official relationship, partly due to his commitment to Megalopolis.

MGM spokesperson Lea Porteneuve said, "With demands on his time from both his business and creative ventures, specifically the intense focus he's placing right now on getting 'Megalopolis' made, Francis felt he couldn't devote the attention he wanted to continuing to serve on the MGM board. We were respectful of his decision."

Coppola said some time back what this project was about. "The setting is modern New York. The mayor is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the past, while an architect-planner is dedicated to leaping into the future. When a massive renovation project is planned for an area running from 8th Avenue to the Hudson riverbank and from 34th to 20th streets, it becomes the nexus of a battle over vision, scale and profits, involving 'every layer of society from workers, labor unions, the man on the street to the idea men, the money men and all those involved with them".
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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Pwaybloe

Quote from: MacGuffinCoppola said some time back what this project was about. "The setting is modern New York. The mayor is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the past, while an architect-planner is dedicated to leaping into the future. When a massive renovation project is planned for an area running from 8th Avenue to the Hudson riverbank and from 34th to 20th streets, it becomes the nexus of a battle over vision, scale and profits, involving 'every layer of society from workers, labor unions, the man on the street to the idea men, the money men and all those involved with them".

Hmmm.... Sounds about as exciting as CSPAN.

Pubrick

Quote from: PawbloeHmmm.... Sounds about as exciting as CSPAN.
i don't know how exciting that is to u, but i think it's a great idea..  it has to be hardcore tho. none of this gangs of new york love story bullshit. i wouldn't mind if it's 99% political with a nipple now and then.
under the paving stones.

Pwaybloe

Quote from: Pi don't know how exciting that is to u, but i think it's a great idea..  it has to be hardcore tho. none of this gangs of new york love story bullshit. i wouldn't mind if it's 99% political with a nipple now and then.

You say that... Now think about Coppola's "Tucker."  The plots aren't too different.

Pubrick

Quote from: PawbloeYou say that... Now think about Coppola's "Tucker."  The plots aren't too different.
tru, but that was a retrospective kinda deal. "then" as opposed to "now". didn't think it was bad tho.
under the paving stones.

budgie

Quote from: MacGuffinIt's kind of a shape-of-things-to-come film in which the characters are concerned with artists, businessmen, proletariat all having a stake in the future but very few of them having a hand in what it's going to be like.

Sounds really far out...

Funny, but I said the same thing when I saw a trailer for the Life of David Gale, only I thought Alan Parker was dead.

I would like to share P's optimism here, but I anticpate bloat.

bonanzataz

Quote from: MacGuffinParker Posey

:-D
The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil's rain we'll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, 'cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, 'cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put 'em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put 'em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

Victor

shit, when i first heard the plot, it sounded like an adaptation of Huxley's Brave New World. Now its gonna be a story about business plans? Im bummed. BNW would make a great movie if they did it up right. Maybe Aaron Sorkin should do it.
are you gonna eat with us too?

RegularKarate

I'm with P here, think it looks like it could be good if done right...

Brave New World's a good book... needs to stay a book... everything in it has been taken and used or parodied, it's been sucked dry... if they were to adapt it now, it just wouldn't play right... maybe I don't know what I'm talking about though.

Gold Trumpet

everything would be good if done right.

I'll side on the other side and say likelihood that this movie will be a mess is more likely than not, considering how this movie feels very tough to do right from the get go and Francis Ford Coppola hasn't made a great movie since Apocalypse Now. Not arguing good movies here, but great ones. And yes, if one of you thinks that he did make a great movie after Apocalypse Now, then it would mean you disagree with me so save your typing hands to not say just that and jack off or something instead.

~rougerum

aclockworkjj

Quote from: RegularKarateBrave New World's a good book... needs to stay a book...

Totally agree....haha, remember that cheap TV movie with Leonard Nimoy?  Exact reason it should just be left as a book...