“The Godfather” Director Aims for New Film to Steer Clear of “Woke Hollywood Lecture”

The Godfather Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola recently defended his upcoming film “Megalopolis” in an interview, emphasizing that his goal was to create a movie that avoids being seen as “a self-conscious Hollywood production that just lectures the audience.” Coppola, renowned for classics like “The Godfather,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” discussed his futuristic epic set for release in September. The film, which Coppola has invested $120 million of his own fortune into, features a star-studded cast including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Shia LaBeouf.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Coppola addressed concerns about the film’s diverse political perspectives, noting that the cast includes individuals from both conservative and progressive backgrounds. “What I didn’t want to happen was for us to be seen as a woke Hollywood production that did nothing but lecture viewers,” Coppola explained. He added that despite the varying political views, the cast worked together on the film, which he found intriguing.

The film, as summarized by the Internet Movie Database, explores the new city of Rome, focusing on the conflict between Cesare Catilina, a visionary artist, and Franklin Cicero, a greedy mayor, with Julia Cicero caught between her father and her lover. Coppola expressed his desire for “Megalopolis” to spark a conversation among Americans about their political division and the future of their country. He hopes the film will encourage dialogue and contribute to healing the nation’s deep divisions.

Coppola also acknowledged that while his film won’t cure all societal ills, he believes that meaningful conversations about the future are essential for saving the republic. “All I want is for this film to start a conversation. You can’t have a utopia without a conversation,” he concluded.