have project power. That’s what Rome had, so I
we get attacked by Islamic terrorists. My movie is all
sort of thought America was the modern Rome
about New York as the center of the world, but how
and therefore, if I set this particular story that’s a
do you make a movie about the center of the world
famous Roman thing in modern Manhattan, it sort
without it dealing with the fact that, right in the
of worked a little bit.
heart of it, it was attacked and thousands of people were killed? How do you make a movie of utopia
There is an accident, and you have an architect trying to rebuild the city as a utopia. And a
with that history? So I tried. I wrote and I wrote, and finally I
mayor trying to stop him.
abandoned it and then later on I went into a new
‘Utopia’ in Greek means the place that doesn’t
way of thinking, and worked on that. I wasn’t fully
exist. Personally, and I say this with great sincerity,
confident, but then I lost weight and it felt like time.
I believe it can exist. I believe in the genius of the
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
I looked at some of the tests and some of the
advice would you give about risk to a young entrepreneurial filmmaker?
human species; in its ability to come up with
readings of actors for Megalopolis and I said that
They must decide what kind of a career they want.
solutions to all of the problems that plague us. But
same fatal thing; it wasn’t as bad as I thought. There
Do they want to be an artist or do they want to
the biggest problem of all is to get those people out
was something here. So I began to become excited
make a lot of money? If they want to be an artist,
of the way who like it the way it is, because they’re
about it again. I think I have a very viable script but
the way to be an artist is to remember that every
already in a perfect situation. In other words, there’s
I also had all the second unit shot already, and I
human being born—the fact that those gametes
already a whole group that control petroleum so
began to have some interest from some actors. It’s
got together, and you were conceived—is a trillion-
they’re never going to get rid of petroleum.
a big, ambitious project. It has a big cast.
to-one chance. So every human being is unique,
I think if the film could be fortunate enough
and to be an artist and not make your work be
Self-interested, wealthy people…
to be taken by the industry not so much as,
totally personal is a waste of the opportunity that
But we have the genius to make a society. The script
“Here’s another wacky Coppola thing, he’ll never
every artist has.
talks about what that society is like. My movie was
do it,” or, “Where is he going to get the money?”
about utopia. You know, so many films today, Mad
But instead, “This is exciting. We want him to do
by your heart and your most sincere instincts
Max and everything, the future—even in some of the
this...” There are 12 big parts and now it becomes
then you’ll have… They say a wine has terroir—a
gorgeous films—is always a terrible place. To me,
about, how do you get all these actors working
DREAMS OF A LIFE
when I was a kid and saw The Shape of Things to
together, and pay them?
Come in 1934, the future was a great thing. It’s what
I’ve told my own children, if you make films
From left: Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze & Tom Cruise in The Outsiders; Gene Hackman in The Conversation; Gregory Hines in The Cotton Club; Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now.
we all wish it could be. When I went to Disneyland, I
Is Megalopolis the fulfillment of a dream at
remember the thing that just knocked me out was
the end of a great career, or the start of things
the Monsanto House of the Future. I wanted to live
to come, where you return to large-canvas
in that house. People get scared and worried about
filmmaking once more?
A.I., and that’s how certain people gain power. Now,
I think I will only play on the large canvas because
person who knows wine can drink some and tell
that’s with self-driving trucks that supposedly will
I’ve made all the little experimental films that I
you where it’s from, and what kind of grape it is,
put people out of work. But they don’t say the other
wanted to experiment with, and now I’m ready to
and come close to telling you what year it was
half, which is that maybe more people will become
try out what I think I’ve learned. I’m 80, but I have a
made—a film has terroir, too. When you see a
paid citizens who’ll get out of employment. You’ll
102-year-old uncle who just wrote a new opera that
Sofia Coppola movie, you don’t need two minutes
get a check not as a worker but as a shareholder of
has been well received. Genetically, I could have 20
to know that she made it. Godard once said, “If
the country. Why shouldn’t you get $70,000 a year
years, and I will need that long to do everything I’m
you cut the credits off a movie you don’t know
as a dividend from the great wealth of our beautiful
excited about wanting to do.
who made it. But if you make your film personal,
country? You could if some people don’t gobble it
by inserting your unique personality, then people
all up for themselves. So in other words, the fear of
A last question. You risked everything,
will know who made that film just from a minute
losing work isn’t the issue, because you’ll be able
stared bankruptcy in the face, and now you
of it, from a second of it.” As they do with my
to do the work you love. That’s what my script for
own some of your movies, you’re one of the
daughter and some of the great filmmakers we
Megalopolis explores.
biggest American wine manufacturers and
have today, both young and old. You know who
you own luxury hotels around the world. What
made it without having the credits. ★
I was shooting the second unit in New York, and
D E A D L I N E .C O M / AWA R D S L I N E
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