Although Adam Driver’s upcoming starring role in Megalopolis under the direction of the legendary Francis Ford Coppola sounds interesting, the new movie risks repeating a similar mistakeas Driver’s most recent sci-fi blockbuster.Megalopolis will see Driver as an architect named Caesar who wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia after a tragedy destroys the city. While there are plenty of exciting things to expect from Megalopolis, Coppola’s noticeable lack of quality films in recent history and Driver’s last sci-fi failure bring the movie’s successful future into question.
In addition to Driver, Megalopolis is slated to feature Laurence Fishburne, Forest Whitaker, Aubrey Plaza, and Shia LaBeouf among many other talented actors and actresses, which is a good sign for the upcoming movie. Via Collider, Driver claimed Megalopolis as “one of the best experiences, if not the best shooting experience, I’ve ever had.” One could chalk Driver’s claims up to excellent PR, but Megalopolis could revolutionize sci-fi considering Coppola’s strong enthusiasm for the upcoming movie. However, Coppola’s checkered recent history and Driver’s recent box-office failures are cause for concern.
Francis Ford Coppola’s Groundbreaking New Sci-Fi Movie Is A 34-Year Godfather Reunion
Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming sci-fi movie Megalopolis stars one actor from The Godfather whom the director hasn’t worked with in 34 years.
Megalopolis Risks Being Adam Driver’s Second Straight Sci-Fi Movie To Flop At The Box Office
65 only grossed $60.7 million against its $57 million budget.
While the expectations weren’t particularly high for 2023’s 65, it still only managed to gross $60.7 million at the global box office, which effectively solidifies it as a commercial flop. Despite Driver’s star power, 65‘s uninspired visuals and by-the-numbers plot as seen in the movie’s trailer decidedly sealed 65‘s fate before it even hit cinemas. Moreover, the lack of brand recognition and the success of 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion made 65‘s chances of being a success even less likely. Nevertheless, Megalopolis‘ budget is estimated at $120 million, which means the expectations for its success will be even higher.
However, an even bigger reason why Megalopolis might not be a critical or commercial darling is because of the writer, director, and co-producer himself, Francis Ford Coppola. Although Coppola is one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation, with classics like the Godfather films and Apocalypse Now under his belt, he hasn’t had a hit since 1996’s Jack. Additionally, his last feature-length film was 2011’s Twixt, a movie that failed both critically and commercially. Even with the talent involved, Megalopolis might not be the success Driver touts it as, but it desperately needs to be.
Adam Driver Desperately Needs Megalopolis To Be A Box Office Hit
The Star Wars franchise was Driver’s last massive box-office success.
Megalopolis‘ critical and commercial success would be a big deal for Driver, considering he hasn’t had massive box-office success outside the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Driver has starred in Annette, The Last Duel, House of Gucci, White Noise, 65, and Ferrari – all of which failed to achieve critical success status. Although Driver is still one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors, Megalopolis needs to be a box-office hit to maintain the actor’s esteemed status within the industry and among general audiences.
