Francis Ford Coppola’s long-awaited film “Megalopolis” faced challenges during its opening weekend showing in over 1,800 theaters nationwide. The $120 million production, which Coppola financed himself, earned a disappointing $4 million between Friday and Sunday. This fell short of projections that forecast $5-7 million for its first three days of wide release.
“Megalopolis” failed to crack the top five movies at the domestic box office. It came in sixth place, behind blockbusters still drawing large audiences as well as newer movies that managed higher turnout. The animated feature “The Wild Robot” led as the number one film with $35 million. Even the Indian production “Devara Part 1” outgrossed Coppola’s film, taking the fourth spot with $3.4 million.
Reviews for “Megalopolis” have been mixed so far. On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 49% critics rating based on reviews collected. The consensus finds the movie presents Coppola’s creative ideas in an “overstuffed” and “slapdash” manner instead of a tight narrative. General audiences also rated it poorly, shown by a 41% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a disappointing “D+” CinemaScore grade.
The big-name cast including Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, and Nathalie Emmanuel did not help draw crowds to the theater. One critic called it “watchable” but noted there was not much new to see. With its underperformance and divisive reception, industry experts now predict “Megalopolis” could become a significant financial loss, especially for the renowned director who funded the entire production himself. How well it does going forward depends on word-of-mouth and continued interest in its unconventional style.
