Washington [US], May 10 : Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola remains unfazed by the initial commercial and critical failure of his latest film 'Megalopolis', and says the movie is finding new life, particularly after the recent US presidential election.
As per Deadline, in a recent interview, the five-time Oscar-winning director likened the film's trajectory to that of his earlier masterpiece 'Apocalypse Now', which was initially met with hostility before becoming a classic.
Though 'Megalopolis' grossed only USD 14.3 million globally against a self-funded budget of USD 120 million, Coppola is confident that time will prove its worth.
"After the election, people are selling out screenings of Megalopolis, the way it was intended to be seen," Coppola said, noting the sudden rise in audience interest, adding, "It was so prophetic or prescient to say America is like Rome, it's going to maybe lose its republic," as quoted by Deadline.
The film, first conceptualised in 1983, is a modern-day allegory of ancient Roman society, reimagined in an alternate version of New York City.
While critics were initially dismissive, Coppola emphasised the long-term resonance of his work.
"Apocalypse Now was a big flop, it got terrible reviews... and yet people never stopped going to see it. The same thing is now happening with Megalopolis."
Coppola has also opted to delay the film's release on streaming platforms and physical media.
"I don't want anyone to own it," he told during the interview, emphasising the theatrical experience as central to the film's intended impact.
In the same interview, Coppola criticised former President Donald Trump's newly announced 100 per cent tariffs on imported films, measures intended to curb what Trump has called a "national security threat" posed by foreign film production.
Coppola strongly condemned the move, warning that such protectionist policies would harm the very foundation of the American film industry.
"No one I know thinks that this tariff philosophy... All it does is create uncertainty," Coppola said.
He argued that the global inflation seen in recent years was not unique to the US, and credited the previous administration's economic management with helping the country weather the storm.
"There's a lot of money in the country, and these tariffs are like slamming the door closed on what was a very prosperous situation," he said.
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