Francis Ford Coppola famously self-financed the production of his ambitious sci-fi epic Megalopolis – but how much of his own money did he spend on the movie? Coppola has been developing Megalopolis since the 1970s, so this movie is half a century in the making. Not only did Coppola have to wait for visual effects technology to catch up to his lofty vision; a string of box office bombs forced the director to put his passion project on hold to focus on more commercial movies like The Godfather Part III and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Megalopolis uses the context of the fall of Rome to imagine a dark future for the United States as an optimistic architect envisioning a utopian new world clashes with a corrupt politician who would rather spearhead a totalitarian dystopia. Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito lead Megalopolis’ sprawling ensemble cast in what promises to be the biggest experimental arthouse film ever made. Since no studio in their right mind would finance such an expensive creative risk, Coppola had to fund the film’s budget out of his own pocket. So, how much did he spend?
Francis Ford Coppola Spent $120 Million To Make Megalopolis
Coppola Sold Part Of His Winery Business To Self-Finance The Production
Coppola self-financed the production of Megalopolis to the tune of $120 million. The Apocalypse Now director has been one of California’s top wine producers since the 2010s. His self-titled brand is one of the highest-selling producers of premium wine in America, so the business is worth a pretty penny – and it sold for a pretty penny. In 2021, Coppola sold off part of his winery business in a massive deal estimated to be worth around $500 million (via The Independent) in order to give him the $120 million of disposable income he needed to spend on the filming of Megalopolis.
By selling off $500 million of his own business, Coppola was able to spend $120 million on Megalopolis without risking bankruptcy. He made sure he could afford to lose whatever he spent. According to the director, the size of the deal means that he’ll be “fine” even if Megalopolis doesn’t make money. Selling half a billion dollars’ worth of his winery meant that Coppola could comfortably provide Megalopolis with the budget required to bring his vision to life and not depend on the ensuing profits to save him from going broke.
Francis Ford Coppola Spent Another $15M-$20M On Marketing
Part Of Coppola’s Deal With Lionsgate Required Him To Cover His Own Marketing Costs
Coppola’s Megalopolis spending didn’t stop with the $120 million he spent on the production; he had to cover the marketing costs, too. Coppola had initially hoped to secure a distribution deal that required the distributor to cover the marketing expenses, but almost every distributor in Hollywood balked at that prospect. When he struggled to find a distributor to agree to those terms, Coppola compromised his demands. This led him to finally land a distribution deal at Lionsgate, but that deal came with some contingencies.
Lionsgate agreed to a distribution deal for
Megalopolis
, but the deal stipulated that Coppola had to pay for a robust marketing campaign worth somewhere between $15 and $20 million.
Lionsgate agreed to a distribution deal for Megalopolis, but the deal stipulated that Coppola had to pay for a robust marketing campaign worth somewhere between $15 and $20 million (via The Hollywood Reporter). Coppola’s deal with Lionsgate requires the studio to release the movie in more than 1,500 theaters around the world. Whether enough moviegoers will show up to those 1,500 theaters for the movie to turn a profit is another story – but Coppola should be okay either way.
What Francis Ford Coppola Spending $135M+ On Megalopolis Means For The Box Office
It Likely Means The Movie Doesn’t Need To Recoup Its Budget To Be Considered A Success
Coppola’s whopping investment of $135 million (or more) doesn’t mean all that much for Megalopolis’ box office. Usually, a movie with that much money behind it would need to make 2.5 times that ($337.5 million) in order to be considered a success. But the studio backing Megalopolis isn’t on the hook for that $135 million; Lionsgate likely got the rights for far cheaper. Only Coppola is liable for that $135 million, and he’s not looking for a return on his investment. If Lionsgate makes back the fee it paid to get Megalopolis in theaters, it’ll be in the black.
When a major studio pumps $120 million into the production of a movie, they’re hoping to turn a profit, because they’re not in it for the sake of the art; they’re in it to make money. But Coppola is a rare movie investor who is in it for the sake of the art. He financed Megalopolis with $120 million he could afford to lose. As long as the movie is out there and getting in front of audiences, Coppola is happy.
Source: The Independent, The Hollywood Reporter
