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Movie Review: ‘Megalopolis’
Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

‘Megalopolis’, the long-awaited new film from legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (‘The Godfather’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’), finally opens in theaters on September 27th.

The film stars an all-star cast that includes Adam Driver (‘Ferrari’), Giancarlo Esposito (‘The Mandalorian’), Nathalie Emmanuel (‘The Killer’), Aubrey Plaza (‘Emily the Criminal’), Shia LaBeouf (‘Honey Boy’), Talia Shire (‘Rocky’), Jason Schwartzman (‘Asteroid City’), Grace VanderWall (‘Stargirl’), Chloe Fineman (‘Saturday Night Live’), Laurence Fishburne (‘Slingshot’), and Academy Award winners Jon Voight (‘Reagan’), and Dustin Hoffman (‘Wag the Dog’).

Related Article: Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver Discuss ‘Megalopolis’

Initial Thoughts

(L to R) Writer/Director Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina on the set of ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Phil Caruso.

‘Megalopolis’ is the first film from Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola in thirteen years and a project he has been developing since 1977. The result is an exhilarating and complex motion picture that pushes the boundaries of cinema while exploring class and the fragility of societies.

Anchored by a fantastic ensemble of actors including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurence Fishburne and Aubrey Plaza, Coppola experiments with story, visual effects and even live-theatrical components. However, this movie is not for everyone, and will have its fair share of critics due to its experimental nature and a somewhat confusing script. But if you ignore that, and just go for the wild cinematic ride Coppola has created, you will be in awe of the director’s latest masterpiece.

Story and Direction

Writer/Director Francis Ford Coppola on the set of ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Phil Laruso.

Combining the Catilinarian conspiracy with modern day New York, ‘Megalopolis’ is set in a decaying metropolis called New Rome. An Idealistic architect named Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), who has the power to control space and time, seeks to demolish and rebuild the city into a sustainable utopia using a new material called “megalon”. Standing in his way is Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), the Mayor of New Rome who is committed to a regressive status quo.

Things get complicated for Cesar when he falls in love with Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter. Also, lurking in the shadows is Cesar’s cousin, Clodio (Shia LaBeouf), who along with his uncle Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight) and his new wife former TV journalist Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza), is plotting to destroy Cesar before he can build his new utopia.

Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

Dense and complex, Coppola’s screenplay explores class warfare and how easily societies can fail. Mixing Roman mythology with what at times feels like a Shakespearian script, (Driver even recites the “To be, or not to be” speech from ‘Hamlet’ at one point), the story at times can seem convoluted but if that bothers you, then I think you are missing the point of Coppola’s film. And knowing how much of the script and story was found on the set by the actors through improvisation, to focus on the screenplay’s shortcomings is again, to miss the point of the movie entirely.

Arguably one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema after making ‘The Godfather’, ‘The Godfather II’, and ‘Apocalypse Now’, just to name a few, the true joy of ‘’Megalopolis’ is watching the master filmmaker experiment with the medium and create something unexpected and quite beautiful in its own way. Not only is Coppola experimenting with the themes of the movie, but he is also experimenting with filmmaking technologies he hasn’t used before like digital cameras, digital effects, and a fascinating live-theatrical stunt, unlike anything I’ve seen before in a movie theater, but more on that below.

Live Theatrical Experience

Grace Vanderwaal as Vesta Sweetwater in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

Towards the end of the second act, there is a moment when Driver’s Cesar is participating in a press conference. At that exact moment, the lights in the theater go on, and a person from the audience (obviously a plant) walks up to a microphone close to the screen. Then, in character, the “actor” asks the on-screen Cesar a question as if they are the reporter in the scene themselves. At least in my screening, the timing worked perfectly, and Cesar seemingly answered the member of the audience.

It’s obviously a constructed stunt, but I absolutely loved that Coppola decided to experiment in this way and it’s the moment when (faults and all) I really fell for this film. It’s a bold move, and one that I wish more filmmakers would take the risk to do. I’m not saying every movie should have a live component, but I would love to see more filmmakers play with the medium and experiment with techniques that are outside of the norm.

A Misunderstood Masterpiece?

Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero and Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

With the media seemingly wanting to see Coppola fail after rumors of production troubles, not to mention the experimental nature of the movie, reviews out of the film’s Cannes premiere have been mixed at best. But don’t listen to them, and don’t even listen to me, see the movie for yourself and make up your own mind! However, I would suggest seeing the film in IMAX, as it adds to Coppola’s vision and the overall experience of the movie.

While it’s unfair to compare ‘’Megalopolis’ to Coppola’s past work, it is important to remember (as the fake quotes in the film’s first trailer point out), films like ‘Apocalypse Now’, ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ and yes, even ‘The Godfather’, received some mixed reviews upon release and of course have gone on to be considered cinematic classics. That may or may not eventually happen with ‘’Megalopolis’, but it is certainly a bold and intriguing movie, which is in stark contrast to the standard sequels and superhero films that litter our local cinema.

The Cast

Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

While the true star of ‘’Megalopolis’ in my opinion is Francis Ford Coppola, he has assembled a remarkable cast of actors, young and old, and the film is certainly anchored by Adam Driver’s strong performance. Driver embodies the character with an intelligence and an aloofness that only the former Kylo Ren actor could supply.

Veteran actor Giancarlo Esposito has finally become a household name thanks to his vast television work on hit shows like ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Boys’. This is Esposito’s first major role in a movie since his recent success, and while he once again plays the antagonist, the actor gives a very good performance.

Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

While purposely over-the-top at times, Shia LaBeouf gives a commanding performance as the sinister Clodio, and Oscar-winner Jon Voight is at his best in years as Hamilton Crassus III. Also excellent in her role is Aubrey Plaza, perfectly cast as a Barbara Walters meets Megyn Kelly type journalist more concerned with moving up society’s later than reporting the truth. Other strong supporting performances come from Laurence Fishburne (the film’s narrator) and Grace VanderWaal as a Taylor Swift type entertainer.

However, coming off an excellent performance in director John Woo’s remake of ‘The Killer’ is Nathalie Emmanuel, who is adequate as Julia, but has a hard time overcoming the shadows of the other heavyweights in the cast. Talia Shire (Coppola’s sister), Jason Schwartzman (Shire’s son and Coppola’s nephew), ‘Saturday Night Live’s Chloe Fineman and Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman are all welcomed additions to the cast, but unfortunately are not given enough to do.

Final Thoughts

Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

In the end, you may like ‘Megalopolis’ or you may not, but it is worth seeing in a theater, if for nothing else to experience a once in a lifetime theatrical experience from one of the greatest directors of all time.

‘Megalopolis’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘’Megalopolis’?

In a decaying metropolis called New Rome, Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is an idealist architect who is granted a license by the federal government to demolish and rebuild the city as a sustainable utopia using a new material, “megalon”, which can give him the power to control space and time. His nemesis, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), remains committed to a regressive status quo. Torn between them is Franklyn’s socialite daughter and Cesar’s love interest Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who, tired of the influence she inherited, searches for her life’s meaning.

Who is in the cast of ‘’Megalopolis’?
- Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina
- Giancarlo Esposito as Mayor Franklyn Cicero
- Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero
- Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher
- Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III
- Laurence Fishburne as Fundi Romaine
- Talia Shire as Constance Crassus Catilina
- Jason Schwartzman as Jason Zanderz
- Kathryn Hunter as Teresa Cicero
- Grace VanderWaal as Vesta Sweetwater
- Chloe Fineman as Clodia Pulcher
- James Remar as Charles Cothope
- D. B. Sweeney as Commissioner Stanley Hart
- Balthazar Getty as Aram Kazanjian
- Dustin Hoffman as Nush Berman
Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ is scheduled for release on September 27, 2024.

Francis Ford Coppola Movies:
- ‘Dementia 13‘ (1963)
- ‘You’re a Big Boy Now‘ (1966)
- ‘Finian’s Rainbow‘ (1968)
- ‘The Rain People‘ (1969)
- ‘The Godfather‘ (1972)
- ‘The Conversation‘ (1974)
- ‘The Godfather Part II‘ (1974)
- ‘Apocalypse Now‘ (1979)
- ‘One from the Heart‘ (1982)
- ‘The Outsiders‘ (1983)
- ‘Rumble Fish‘ (1983)
- ‘The Cotton Club‘ (1984)
- ‘Peggy Sue Got Married‘ (1986)
- ‘Gardens of Stone‘ (1987)
- ‘Tucker: The Man and His Dream‘ (1988)
- ‘The Godfather Part III‘ (1990)
- ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula‘ (1992)
- ‘Jack‘ (1996)
- ‘The Rainmaker‘ (1997)
- ‘Youth Without Youth‘ (2007)
- ‘Tetro‘ (2010)
- ‘Twixt‘ (2023)
- ‘Megalopolis‘ (2024)
Buy Tickets: ‘Megalopolis’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Francis Ford Coppola Movies on Amazon
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September 24, 2024
‘Megalopolis’ Interview: Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver
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Opening in theaters on September 27th is the long-awaited new film from legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (‘The Godfather’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’) entitled ‘Megalopolis’. It is the first film from the Oscar winning director in thirteen years and a project he has been developing since 1977.

The film stars an all-star cast that includes Adam Driver (‘Ferrari’), Giancarlo Esposito (‘The Mandalorian’), Nathalie Emmanuel (‘The Killer’), Aubrey Plaza (‘Emily the Criminal’), Shia LaBeouf (‘Honey Boy’), Talia Shire (‘Rocky’), Jason Schwartzman (‘Asteroid City’), Grace VanderWall (‘Stargirl’), Chloe Fineman (‘Saturday Night Live’), Laurence Fishburne (‘Slingshot’), and Academy Award winners Jon Voight (‘Reagan’), and Dustin Hoffman (‘Wag the Dog’).

(L to R) Director Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver talk ‘Megalopolis’.

Related Article: Adam Driver Talks ‘Ferrari’ and Working with Director Michael Mann

Moviefone recently had the honor of speaking with legendary writer and director Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver about their work on ‘Megalopolis’, Coppola’s passion and dedication to get it made, the live theatrical aspect of the film, how he utilized new technology, Driver’s approach to his character, improvisation, and what he learned from working with Coppola.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

Writer/Director Francis Ford Coppola on the set of ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Phil Laruso.

Moviefone: To begin with, Mr. Coppola, can you talk about the spark of the idea for this film that excited you and what kept you passionate and determined over all these decades to finally get this movie made?

Francis Ford Coppola: When I started, I didn’t specifically start with this project. I just thought that since I had made so many films with different styles, I was curious what my style was. So, I just started to note down articles I read, or I had a collection I remember of political cartoons because cartoons tell a whole story in one image, and things I had read. After a while, I found that I was interested in the idea of doing a Roman epic because I had seen them as a kid, and I loved Roman epics. Then at one point, I read a particular Roman story about what was called the Catiline conspiracy. In that, it said that could happen in modern America because modern America has based itself on being Roman. That’s when it began to really take shape in this. Then I started to collect possibilities of what it might be like and how it might be done, and ultimately led to this incredible collaboration with my wonderful cast and with Adam and with the various people who supplied everything in the film, and we made ‘Megalopolis’ together.

(L to R) Writer/Director Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina on the set of ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Phil Caruso.

MF: Adam, what was this experience like for you working with Mr. Coppola, and what did you learn about filmmaking from watching the specific way that he makes movies?

Adam Driver: I think there’s maybe a misconception or an assumption that people make about directors that are like Francis that the atmosphere when you get on set is going to be very dictatorial, that it’s going to be “Do what I tell you to do”, or at least that’s just what the feedback that I get from people is, “Do you just say everything that he tells you to do?” That’s not actually what it’s like at all. He’s very disarming, which I guess should be no surprise because his movies feel that way. They all feel like everyone is pretty invested in what they’re doing because he gives you an incredible amount of trust, which it could easily have been the opposite of, “Move here because I said so, and I have a resume of films that have changed filmmaking as evidence that I know what I’m talking about”. That would’ve been a very compelling argument, but it’s the exact opposite. He makes you part of it because you have some authorship of it, you get obsessed with it and excited, and are invested and want to bring ideas to the table. Because he has such a, this is the understatement of the century, but an incredible film vocabulary that he is very good at picking the things that are in line with what he’s trying to make in an incredibly diplomatic way and discarding the things that aren’t what he needs. So, the thing I took from it is also, it felt like experimental theater in a way, where you can’t make a mistake, and setting an environment for people to feel comfortable to do whatever they wanted within the parameters. It is an experience that I didn’t have in film before, and I don’t think I’ll have again. Trying to take that to other films will be difficult.

Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

MF: Mr. Coppola, there is a staged moment in the film where someone from the theater’s audience stands up and interacts with Adam’s character on-screen. Can you talk about the choice to include this unusual experimental theatrical experience and how you were able to execute it?

FFC: Well, it’s interesting because the film didn’t have that scene at all in it, and it was Adam who said to me, “Remember we shot a sequence where the people asked questions. I miss that. I wish that were back in.” I said, “Well, let’s go find it and put it back in and see what you think,” and we did. Then we put it in, and I agreed with him that it was missing, and it was better with it. It wasn’t in it. It was his idea and we put it in, and then the only thing that happened is I thought, “Well, wouldn’t it be interesting if a real person brought the microphone over and put it there?” We tried it and it seemed to be exciting. I’m a guy who in a way still has one foot in theater and one foot in cinema and I haven’t forgotten my theatrical training as a kid. I love to combine the two, and that’s where that came from. We only had it because of this idea about actors and directors, I’ve heard it said, “Oh, that director got this great performance out of the actor.” Directors don’t get great performances out of actors. The actor does the performance. The director’s like a coach. He’s there to be able to say something helpful, hopefully at the right time, when the actor is trying to achieve something, just like a coach in a sports team says, “Why don’t you try thinking this?” If it helps, great. But the actor does the hard part, let’s face it. The director is there to just say the right thing at the right moment if you are lucky enough to have the right thing to say.

(L to R) Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo: Lionsgate.

MF: Adam, I understand there was quite a bit of improvisation on the set. Can you talk about your approach to playing Cesar, and did the improv help you find the character on set?

AD: There’s the version and what we had talked about. Francis told me some inspirations, not directly, but like Walter Gropius was somebody that we talked about. Robert Moses was another person, just to kind of get a sense. But what Francis was saying, he’s being a little modest. I think sometimes people say that idea, which sounds romantic, and in practice, never practice it, or they reserve it for press. But Francis really acts on his principles and everything that he’s describing is very rare, I think, to get that experience as an actor and to get the freedom to kind of come up with an idea and surprise yourself, and hopefully Francis. But he still is the one that’s making that happen, so you wouldn’t get that movie obviously, if Francis wasn’t kind of conducting all these kinds of wild personalities. So, it all kind of was found by the other actors that I’m acting with, the props, how (Cinematographer) Mihai (Mălaimare Jr.) was shooting it with Francis and all Francis’ direction. He kind of set up the rules. The first day of shooting was something really and I remember at one point, Francis said, “We’re not being brave enough,” and that was like, “Oh, that’s probably the best piece of direction I’ve ever been given,” and that set the tone for the rest of the film.

Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero and Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

MF: Finally, Mr. Coppola, obviously the tools used to make films has changed a lot since you began making movies with advances in digital cameras, visual effects, and editing software. Can you talk about how you were able to implement those new tools into your style of filmmaking?

FFC: Well, I think Orson Wells once said that a lot of those aspects of movies, you can learn in a weekend. But fundamentally, the two main components of cinema are acting and writing. That’s not something you can learn over the weekend. I mean, you can’t have a great movie without wonderful acting. You need some kind of good writing. Everything else is you can take great liberties with and choose to use or not to use. Just because there’s some new development that is possibly revolutionary doesn’t mean you have to use it or must use it in the way they’re using it. We did use a technique that falls in that category, what’s known as the volume. It’s when they have this huge space and it’s a huge LED screen. But we used it a different way. We put the scene that we shot very high, and so if they’re walking along up there and fall, they’re going to fall 15 feet into a net, and so that the actors would be a little trepidatious about walking around too casually up there. He (Adam) wasn’t afraid of it, but Natalie (Emmanuel) was. When she walked, you could feel she didn’t want to fall. So, I mean, as I said, you can use things, but you don’t have to use them in the way that they were invented for.
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What is the plot of ‘’Megalopolis’?

In a decaying metropolis called New Rome, Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is an idealist architect who is granted a license by the federal government to demolish and rebuild the city as a sustainable utopia using a new material, “megalon”, which can give him the power to control space and time. His nemesis, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), remains committed to a regressive status quo. Torn between them is Franklyn’s socialite daughter and Cesar’s love interest Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who, tired of the influence she inherited, searches for her life’s meaning.

Who is in the cast of ‘’Megalopolis’?
- Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina
- Giancarlo Esposito as Mayor Franklyn Cicero
- Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero
- Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher
- Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III
- Laurence Fishburne as Fundi Romaine
- Talia Shire as Constance Crassus Catilina
- Jason Schwartzman as Jason Zanderz
- Kathryn Hunter as Teresa Cicero
- Grace VanderWaal as Vesta Sweetwater
- Chloe Fineman as Clodia Pulcher
- James Remar as Charles Cothope
- D. B. Sweeney as Commissioner Stanley Hart
- Balthazar Getty as Aram Kazanjian
- Dustin Hoffman as Nush Berman
Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ is scheduled for release on September 27, 2024.

Francis Ford Coppola Movies:
- ‘Dementia 13‘ (1963)
- ‘You’re a Big Boy Now‘ (1966)
- ‘Finian’s Rainbow‘ (1968)
- ‘The Rain People‘ (1969)
- ‘The Godfather‘ (1972)
- ‘The Conversation‘ (1974)
- ‘The Godfather Part II‘ (1974)
- ‘Apocalypse Now‘ (1979)
- ‘One from the Heart‘ (1982)
- ‘The Outsiders‘ (1983)
- ‘Rumble Fish‘ (1983)
- ‘The Cotton Club‘ (1984)
- ‘Peggy Sue Got Married‘ (1986)
- ‘Gardens of Stone‘ (1987)
- ‘Tucker: The Man and His Dream‘ (1988)
- ‘The Godfather Part III‘ (1990)
- ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula‘ (1992)
- ‘Jack‘ (1996)
- ‘The Rainmaker‘ (1997)
- ‘Youth Without Youth‘ (2007)
- ‘Tetro‘ (2010)
- ‘Twixt‘ (2023)
- ‘Megalopolis‘ (2024)
Buy Tickets: ‘Megalopolis’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Francis Ford Coppola Movies on Amazon
September 23, 2024
Movie Review: ‘Despicable Me 4’
‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Opening in theaters on July 3rd, ‘Despicable Me 4’s is Illumination Entertainment (and distributor Universal) unleashing the latest salvo of their behemoth franchise.

The success of ‘Despicable’ movies is almost comically predictable at this point, and while the latest offering does very little that’s really new, it seems certain to appeal to the family target audience.

Related Article: Movie Review: Minions: The Rise of Gru

Will ‘Despicable Me 4’ Keep the Family Happy?

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Though it would be wrong to say that the franchise really matures, the new offering does at least represent the usual evolution of the story, as it finds Steve Carell’s Gru well and truly settled into family life. Yet his villainous past once more comes back to haunt him when a rival threatens his domestic bliss and the Gru clan is forced to retreat to a safe house.

Plus, any movie featuring Gru is contractually obliged to include the Minions, and here there is a new spin on that concept, albeit a slightly tired satire of a genre that has long since been spoofed beyond reason.

Script and Direction

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Written by ‘Despicable’ veteran Ken Daurio and in a slightly surprising turn, Mike White (though ‘The White Lotus’ boss is also credited with last year’s ‘Migration’, also from Illumination), so he’s clearly found a side gig groove with the animation company.

Don’t go expecting any ‘Lotus’-level depth here (not that you would from a knockabout cartoon effort), and the movie is refreshingly free of hackneyed attempts to teach family bonding lessons, mostly because they’ve all been covered before by the ‘Despicable’ movies. The gags come thick and fast, but the main issue with the screenplay and the movie on which they are based is that it all feels like separate elements that eventually try to gel for the big finish, but never feel like they’re all in the same plotline.

Gru, for example, not only has to deal with an old nemesis coming back, but a new potential threat, and the screenplay doesn’t really juggle them as effectively as they might, with several feeling underserved.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Kudos, though, to the team for two referential jokes that feel like they were layered in specifically for the parents bringing their kids to this one –– particularly a ‘Terminator 2’ moment that really works.

Chris Renaud (another ‘Despicable’ veteran) and Patrick Delage (who has worked his way up from the animation department into more of an overall leadership role here) oversaw direction. And rather than trying to change what was working about the look and feel of the movies, they kept to the basic template –– lots of Minion moments (even if, like the split plotlines, they feel like separate skits that are crowbarred into the story until they serve a point at the end. And even then, they feel like a throwaway afterthought.

If you’re taking kids who are really only there for the squat, chattering, yellow pill-shaped nuisances, you might be better off just re-watching old shorts and moments online.

Performances

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

The voice cast is predictably entertaining –– many of them have been at this franchise long enough to bed into their roles. Where things fall down somewhat is a by-the-numbers script that doesn’t really give them much that’s fresh.

Steve Carell as Gru

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Carell knows how to knock out a Gru line in his sleep these days, but he throws himself into the role with typical relish. He’s a little isolated from the rest of the family for large stretches of the story, but he bounces well off of Joey King, who plays Poppy, a teenager with criminal aspirations of her own.

Will Ferrell as Maxime Le Mal

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Will Ferrell here plays Gru’s old schoolmate and nemesis, but though Ferrell tries out a cod-French accent to try and get something new, he’s rarely all that memorable. An obsession with cockroaches seemingly opens the door to Minion-style madness, but his insect army is established and then quickly forgotten. In the ranks of gadget-obsessed villainy that have cropped up in the movies, Le Mal doesn’t really pop.

And that goes double for his girlfriend, Valentina (Sofia Vergara). It seems clear that either there is more of her role on the cutting room floor, or Vergara spent roughly 10 minutes in the recording booth as Valentina is a largely pointless character.

Stephen Colbert, Kristen Wiig and More

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Stephen Colbert, Carell’s old ‘Daily Show’ colleague is always good value matched against him (here as snooty, preppy new neighbor Perry Prescott.

Kristen Wiig, meanwhile, gets some meatier material as Lucy Wilde, Gru’s wife, including her attempts to become part of the new community where they’re forced to move.

And finally, there’s Gru Jr. the family’s new addition (who mostly just makes gurgling and other infant sounds). He’s a fun diversion, a child who simply doesn’t like his father (until…. Well, that would be spoiling things, but you can guess).

The Minions do their thing as usual, and their superhero spoof is diverting if not really effective at this point when we don’t really need another example of poking fun at the genre.

Final Thoughts

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Gru and co. are such reliable money spinners for Illumination at this point that they could probably just put out 90 minutes of Minions babbling and slapping each other, and family audiences would crack open their wallets to see it.

You might find yourself wishing for something truly revolutionary, but it’s unlikely to disappoint the diehard kiddie fans.

‘Despicable Me 4’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Despicable Me 4’?

Gru (Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls —Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan) — welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.

At the same time, Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.

Who else lends their voices to ‘Despicable Me 4’?

The voice cast for the new animated movie includes Joey King, Stephen Colbert, Chloe Fineman, Pierre Coffin and Steve Coogan.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Other Movies in the ‘Despicable Me’ Franchise:
- ‘Despicable Me‘ (2010)
- ‘Despicable Me 2‘ (2013)
- ‘Despicable Me 3‘ (2017)
- ‘Minions‘ (2015)
- ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru‘ (2022)
Buy Tickets: ‘Despicable Me 4‘ Movie Showtimes

Buy ‘Despicable Me’ Movies On Amazon
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June 30, 2024
‘Megalopolis’ Lands U.S. Distribution with Lionsgate
Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ is scheduled for release on September 27, 2024.

Preview:
- Francis Ford Coppola has made a deal with Lionsgate to release ‘Megalopolis’.
- The filmmaker’s passion project stars Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito and Nathalie Emmanuel.
- Coppola poured millions of his own money into making the movie.
Given how much time and money Francis Ford Coppola had poured into making his latest passion project, the epic known as ‘Megalopolis’, things were looking a little grim.

Coppola, the man behind movies such as ‘The Godfather’ trilogy and ‘Apocalypse Now’ had been looking to bring ‘Megalopolis’ to life for years but hadn’t found anyone to invest fully.

So the filmmaker went ahead and sold a chunk of his vineyard business to drum up the cash himself, tracking down a cast and getting under way.

Then came reports of trouble on set, with effects issues and even accusations of inappropriate behavior by the director (an issue which has yet to be settled either way).
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Finally, Coppola finished the film and screened it for potential distributors in Los Angeles, to reportedly zero interest. He scored a slot at Cannes and that has sparked wildly divisive reviews, many calling out its gonzo storytelling and performances.

Yet after the festival screening, there has been a big turnaround in the movie’s fortunes, Coppola securing a raft of international distribution deals across the world.

And today brings word that Lionsgate has scored a deal to distribute the movie here in the States, and to handle its home entertainment release.

What’s the story of ‘Megalopolis’?

(L to R) Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel in ‘Megalopolis’. Photo: Lionsgate.

The fate of Rome haunts a modern world (and a city that’s essentially an alternate New York) unable to solve its own social problems in this epic story of political ambition, genius, and conflicting interests.

‘Megalopolis’ essential clash is between Cesar (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare.

Caught between the two? Franklyn’s socialite daughter and Cesar’s love interest, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who, tired of the influence she inherited, searches for her life’s meaning.

Who else is in ‘Megalopolis’?

Jon Voight as Byrne in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.

Coppola has rounded up quite the ensemble for this one. Surrounding the three leads are Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D. B. Sweeney, Isabelle Kusman, Bailey Ives, Madeleine Gardella and Dustin Hoffman.

Related Article: Oscar-winner Jon Voight Talks ‘Mercy’ and ‘Megalopolis’

‘Megalopolis’ Domestic Release: Coppola Speaks

Director Frances Ford Coppola at the 50th Anniversary of ‘The Godfather’ event and historic street naming ceremony the Paramount Theater in Hollywood, CA on February 22nd, 2022. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures.

Here’s the statement the director released about the new deal:

“One rule of business I’ve always followed and prioritized (to my benefit) is to continue working with companies and teams who over time have proven to be good friends as well as great collaborators. This is why I am thrilled to have Adam Fogelson and Lionsgate Studios release ‘Megalopolis’. I am confident they will apply the same tender love and care given to ‘Apocalypse Now’, which is currently in its 45th year of astounding revenue and appreciation.”

And here’s Lionsgate boss Adam Fogelson’s comment:

“Francis is a legend. For many of us, his gifts to cinema were one of the inspirations to devote our own careers to film. It is a true privilege to work with him, and to bring this incredible, audacious, and utterly unique movie to theatrical audiences. At Lionsgate, we strive to be a home for bold and daring artists, and ‘Megalopolis’ proves there is no one more bold or daring than the maestro, Francis Ford Coppola.”

When will ‘Megalopolis’ be in a theater near me?

Lionsgate has set a September 27th release date for the movie.

Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola and Robert De Niro onstage during the 50th anniversary tribute of “The Godfather” at the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.

Other Francis Ford Coppola Movies:
- ‘Finian’s Rainbow‘ (1968)
- ‘The Rain People‘ (1969)
- ‘The Godfather‘ (1972)
- ‘The Conversation‘ (1974)
- ‘The Godfather Part II‘ (1974)
- ‘Apocalypse Now‘ (1979)
- ‘One from the Heart‘ (1982)
- ‘The Outsiders‘ (1983)
- ‘Rumble Fish‘ (1983)
- ‘The Cotton Club‘ (1984)
- ‘Peggy Sue Got Married‘ (1986)
- ‘Gardens of Stone‘ (1987)
- ‘Tucker: The Man and His Dream‘ (1988)
- ‘The Godfather Part III‘ (1990)
- ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula‘ (1992)
- ‘Jack‘ (1996)
- ‘The Rainmaker‘ (1997)
- ‘Youth Without Youth‘ (2007)
- ‘Tetro‘ (2009)
- ‘Twixt‘ (2012)
Buy Francis Ford Coppola Movies on Amazon
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June 17, 2024
‘Babylon’ Interview: Composer Justin Hurwitz
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Currently available on digital and streaming, and arriving on Blu-ray and DVD beginning March 21st is the Oscar nominated movie ‘Babylon,’ which was directed by Oscar winner Damien Chazelle (‘La La Land’).

What is ‘Babylon’ about?

‘Babylon’ follows the rise and fall of a group of characters during Hollywood’s transition from silent film to talkies in the 1920s.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Babylon?’

‘Babylon’ stars Brad Pitt as movie star Jack Conrad, Margot Robbie as young actress Nellie LaRoy, Diego Calva as assistant turned producer Manny Torres, Jean Smart as journalist Elinor St. John, Jovan Adepo as musician Sidney Palmer, Li Jun Li as performer Lady Fay Zhu, and Tobey Maguire as gangster James McKay.

The movie also features appearances from Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving, Spike Jonze, Chloe Fineman, and Olivia Wilde.

How many 2023 Academy Award nominations did ‘Babylon’ receive?

‘Babylon’ has received three 2023 Academy Award nominations including Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score for composer Justin Hurwitz.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with two-time Academy Award winning composer Justin Hurwitz about his Oscar nominated work on ‘Babylon,’ collaborating with his friend director Damien Chazelle, watching dailies and creating music for the elephant.

‘Babylon’ Composer Justin Hurwitz.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to Damien Chazelle’s screenplay for ‘Babylon’ and the themes that you wanted to explore with the score?

Justin Hurwitz: So I got the draft in fall of 2019, and I was just so entertained by it. I mean, my jaw was kind of on the floor for a lot of these scenes, and there were great monologues and really beautifully written emotional scenes as well. So it was just such a great read. The first thing I thought was, “Oh, my God, there’s going to be a lot of music in this movie.” So Damien and I started talking about it.

Of course it’s set in old Hollywood, but what got me excited about it was right off the bat, Damien said he didn’t want the music to sound like 1920s jazz. He didn’t want it to sound like old movie music. He wanted to do something very different than that. So that got me excited, because I was thinking the same thing as I was reading the script. I was thinking super entertaining movie, but I don’t want to have to write period music, and luckily he didn’t want to do that either.

Director Damien Chazelle on the set of ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

MF: You’ve composed all of director Damien Chazelle’s previous movies. Can you talk about collaborating with him, your working relationship, and how the process of scoring one of his films works?

JH: Well, so much of it feels exactly like it did when we were 20-years old working on the ‘Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench,’ which was our student film that kind of ballooned into a small feature. Just the process of sitting at the piano, coming up with ideas, making voice notes, sending idea, after idea to Damien getting, “No, no, no, maybe, no, no, no,” before you finally get, “Yes, I love it, that’s the one.” I rely on him so much to help steer me into my best ideas, and that has never changed. Even the process of sitting at the piano and making little MP3s hasn’t changed. But we’ve gotten more efficient over the years at certain things.

I love the way we have sort of developed it in post-production where we get offices next to each other so he can cut the movie with (editor) Tom Cross for a year or so, and I can be there the entire time, literally sharing a door. We have a suite with a shared door, so I can be in their room all the time and Damien’s coming into my room. We’re just going back and forth working on picture and music. That’s a process we’ve kind of refined over the years, and I love it. Probably my favorite time is when we’re in post, and we’re all under one roof, and we can finish the movie together, and the score can really take shape and come together. So that’s something that we learned from the past couple of movies, and we’ve sort of fallen into those practices.

Damien is full-time with Tom Cross, the editor, so they’re working together, and then Damien’s full-time with me, really. So that’s why we have these shared offices. So he can be very hands-on with the editing and very hands on with the score. What’s great about Damien is he has such a specific vision, and he’s such a specific filmmaker. He knows what he wants visually, sonically, everything, but he also lets creative people do what we do.

So it’s this very tricky balance and I think he’s found the right balance. He does it very well, and you don’t want to work with a filmmaker that doesn’t know what they want. It’s good to work with filmmakers that are very specific, and very hands on, but they need to give the latitude to the collaborators to come up with their own ideas, and explore, and be creative people of our own. So Damien does both of those things very well.

(L to R) Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy and Diego Calva plays Manny Torres in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

Related Articles: Damien Chazelle Talks ‘Babylon’ and Working with Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie

MF: Do you watch dailies and take inspiration from the actor’s performances for the score?

JH: Absolutely. There were kind of two phases of scoring this movie. We had to create about an hour of music in pre-production before we could even shoot the movie. So I was doing tons and tons of demos. We were building that for about a year and a half. We were in the studio recording that. All of that was before the movie was shot. I was going off of the script, and I was going off of Damien’s storyboards. He makes literally thousands of pages of hand-drawn storyboards, and he cuts animatics and we build to that.

Then the movie’s shot, and I’m on set. So I’m there experiencing the feeling of the shoot and the scene. The performance is actually live in front of the camera. Then we have post-production and I made about another hour of music in post-production. At that point, that’s more of the traditional film scoring approach, where I’m watching the dailies, the cuts, the scenes, and then the entire cuts.

For that last hour of score, these are the scenes that you have to just watch, and you have to just respond to what’s in the scenes. So the Manny/Nellie cues, those relationship cues, you just have to watch and respond to the rhythms of the dialogue, and the feeling of it, and the way it’s cut, and what you’re seeing in the design of it all. There were plenty of cues of that sort. So there is really kind of two totally different approaches to this movie. The hour of music we did before it was shot, and then the hour of music we did after it was shot, and it’s about two hours of score in total.

I mean, it’s so well planned because like I said, Damien has storyboarded this thing down to the fraction of a second. While I’ve been building the demos, he’s been building the storyboards. He’s like, “Give me two more seconds here, cut a half second from there.” It’s like we are refining this. Of course things change, and that becomes part of my job. I said, an hour of music is created beforehand. I’m still rebuilding that music through post-production as well, because as the cut comes together, we are lengthening, or shortening, or rebuilding, and moving things around. Things are always changing. But I don’t think there were any pieces of music that we recorded that just got cut from the movie or anything that was that drastically rethought when it comes to those pre-recorded tracks.

MF: Finally, what was it like scoring the scenes with the elephant?

JH: Well, I wasn’t on set for the actual defecation scene. But the elephant does burst into the party a little bit later. That was fun because the track “Voodoo Mama” is the track that’s going on, and that’s where Nellie, Margot Robbie’s character is dancing, crowd surfing, and completely owning this room. It’s a real fun jazz band meets rock and roll, meets dance music sort of track. That track, as soon as the elephant bursts through the door, takes a big turn into circus music. So we have kazoos and slide whistles, and the band starts playing almost like a circus band in with all these crash symbols and circus sort of music. So the track takes a big turn there, and that was a very fun genre to play in.

We actually use circus sounds throughout the score. We bring a lot of those sounds back even during some of those really intimate Manny/Nellie cues. Those cues are kind of this mixture of three pianos that have this very fragile, broken, half out of tune quality. But in those cues, sometimes we pull in little circus sounds as well because their relationship is a bit of a circus, and it’s just sort of a motif in this movie. So we had a lot of fun with many different colors in this score, including circus colors.

Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Babylon:’
- ‘Silent Movie‘ (1976)
- ‘The Artist‘ (2012)
- ‘Whiplash‘ (2014)
- ‘Hail, Caesar!‘ (2016)
- ‘La La Land‘ (2016)
- ‘First Man‘ (2018)
- ‘Mank‘ (2020)
- ‘Amsterdam‘ (2022)
Buy Tickets: ‘Babylon’ Movie Showtimes

Where to Watch: ‘Babylon’ Online

Buy ‘Babylon’ On Amazon

‘Babylon’ is produced by Paramount, Marc Platt Production, Material Pictures, C2 Motion Picture Group, Wild Chickens and Organism Pictures. ‘Babylon’ debuts on digital and streaming January 31st, and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning March 21st.
February 22, 2023
‘Babylon’ Interview: Writer and Director Damien Chazelle

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Opening in theaters on December 23rd is the new film from Academy Award-winning writer and director Damien Chazelle (‘Whiplash,’ ‘La La Land’) entitled ‘Babylon.’

The new movie follows the rise and fall of a group of characters during Hollywood’s transition from silent film to talkies in the 1920s.

The incredible all-star cast includes Oscar-winner Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Tobey Maguire, Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Chloe Fineman, Ethan Suplee, and Lewis Tan.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with writer and director Damien Chazelle to talk about his work on ‘Babylon,’ what audiences can expect from the new movie, why he was interested in this point in Hollywood’s history, casting Pitt and Robbie, and the importance of music in his films.

‘Babylon’ writer and director Damien Chazelle.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Chazelle, as well as actors Jovan Adepo and Li Jun Li.

Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to moviegoers getting ready to sit down and watch this film to prepare them for the experience they’re about to have?

Damien Chazelle: That’s a good question. I would say just to prepare yourself for a wild ride. It’s not the kind of movie about older Hollywood that I think anyone is expecting. It’s shocking, it’s wild, it’s crazy, it’s a roller coaster ride, it’s an adventure, and it’s a party. I would say to go in with that in mind.

But beyond that, I don’t know, I wouldn’t say much. I think ultimately I made this movie for audiences, for them to have an experience. I think whatever mindset you’re in when you sit down in the theater for this movie, it will sweep you up and it’s going to take you for a ride whether you want to or not.

MF: What was it about this era in Hollywood’s history, the period moving from silent films to talkies, that really fascinated you and what were some of the themes you wanted to explore with this movie?

DC: Well, a lot of it had to do with just how unhinged the society was at that time. I just hadn’t realized the extent to which people at that time partied, how hard they lived, how hard they worked, and how recklessly and transgressively they operated. It was this circus atmosphere that I think in many ways got lost once Hollywood became a little more sanitized and regulated, and became more of a corporate industry.

The Hollywood in this movie is right before that. It’s the last gasp of the wild West of early Hollywood when it was still unregulated. It was like people pitching a tent in the desert and making their movies, and doing them the way they wanted to. There was just this manic, hysterical atmosphere where anything went. That was key to try to capture that and take that as far as it went.

Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

MF: Can you talk about casting and working with Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie?

DC: It was amazing. As a director, it’s a dream come true. They’re such seasoned actors so, yes, on the one hand, you’re getting these larger-than-life movie stars, and they’re playing larger-than-life movie stars in the movie, so that’s kind of perfect. But they’re also just real thespians.

They deliver. They know how to craft performances that move you and make you laugh and cry and break your heart. They take you on a ride. I think they help ground this movie and make it human, so that even at its most excessive, larger-than-life, outrageous, shocking moments, you still feel a beating heart underneath. That’s thanks to them, I think, and the rest of the cast.

MF: Margot has a scene in the movie where her character has to cry on cue. Did she actually do that on set, or did you have to enhance it in post?

DC: That is Margot! Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to shoot it. You can’t CG that!

Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

MF: Finally, can you talk about Justin Hurwitz’s music for the film and the importance of music in all your movies?

DC: Music comes early on for me. I work with the same composer, Justin Hurwitz, for all my movies. We’ve worked together since college. We have a shorthand at this point. As soon as I have a script, I hand it to him, and he starts working on the music.

By the time I’m shooting, I’ve got a lot of the music already in place. We can play it on set and we can set the mood with it. We can have the actors dancing to it and thinking about it, and just letting it seep into their body. You get a sense of what the tone is right away. That’s really important to me, and especially with this movie. I knew I needed a very specific tone and a specific kind of energy and pulse, and that’s what the music provides.

Director Damien Chazelle on the set of ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.
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December 20, 2022