Francis Ford Coppola's hard dedication to getting his current movie made, even to the point of selling properties, demonstrates his commitment to his artistic vision.
What we could understand is, Hollywood's current trend towards risk aversion is making it challenging for original works to find buyers.
This shift is largely due to the industry's reliance on repetitive reboots and established intellectual properties, which are perceived as safer bets financially.
People are afraid and are sticking to what works.
Big named Studios often prioritize projects with built-in audiences and a proven track record of success, as they are seen as more reliable investments.
This trend makes it tremendously difficult for filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, who are seeking to bring new and innovative ideas to the screen, to secure funding and distribution for their projects.
What can we understand? I believe, 2024 is looking like an accidental return to form from the theatre industry’s long-term cash cow genre.
People want the cow that keeps producing and turning out milk of remakes, and reboots, as well as an intellectual property that keeps producing with reliability. They are afraid to make investments.
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You're right, Mario Leone ("This shift is largely due to the industry's reliance on repetitive reboots and established intellectual properties, which are perceived as safer bets financially. People are afraid and are sticking to what works."). A lot of people are getting tired of the current model, and they're not watching the remakes/reboots/established IP, so new and innovative ideas might become the safe way to go for investors going forward.
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I agree with you, and the level of salesmanship needs to increase within the screen writing industry, if they’re going to actually breakthrough through.
Because people are relying on old models. To get someone to break their method of thinking Takes creativity.
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"The level of salesmanship needs to increase within the screen writing industry." Are you talking about the ways screenwriters pitch, Mario Leone?
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After all, it's Show Business with emphasis on the latter. $100M is a lotta dough. No one can be faulted for not investing in a film with sketchy ROI.
A studio head who saw the film said, “It’s so not good, and it was so sad watching it. Anybody who puts P&A behind it, you’re going to lose money. This is not how Coppola should end his directing career.”
Conversely, there's the promise of fruit from the poison tree that could drive audiences to it. It'll be short lived. Odds are the film will lose big time as word of the stench is disseminated. Then again, there could be surprises.
Tragic. Copolla sold a lot to fund the film.
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Maurice Vaughan
yeah, pitching needs to be top-notch.
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You're right, Mario Leone. I've been thinking about making sizzle reels for my feature scripts. Short ones. I'm thinking 30 seconds to a minute. Sizzle reels are really eye-catching.
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What was Coppola's last good movie? Del Toro, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Paul Schrader, K Bigelow, Ang Lee, Nancy Meyers... i could list more famous legendary filmmakers who cant get funding for whatever reasons.
But hey, M Night Shayamalan has been funding his own movies for three decades. He seems to know how to make profitable movies.
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"Battle Beyond the Sun" followed closely by "The Bellboy and the Playgirls."
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Studio heads should be filmmakers at heart.
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Breaking News: Copolla on the cusp of signing a distribution deal with a French firm.
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Important topics I've been following for some time, great commentaries! Mario Leone, thanks for posting! In my best immediate comprehension, I'll focus on the remakes and reboots for now. If the industry to whatever extent compels into that particular direction, the question remains as to how much does it effects new concepts, with the mindfulness of the industry's infringements and relevant bureaucracies of copyright issues, to adhere to, for the producing of films! It is certainly not a simple matter to deal with!
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Mario Leone "People are afraid and are sticking to what works." I would amend that sentence, Mario, to 'People are afraid and are sticking to what WORKED.' They assume because it worked once, it will work again, but there is a law of diminished returns and sooner or later I think they'll see the error of their ways.
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Seems they are using a business model to reintroduce a subject/genre to a new audience. The business model is safe, tested and repeatable but whether it sells to the market that is another question. What I have seen (viewed) was ok checking "RT" there is agreement or a difference of opinion. I have gone to the extent to review the original/s to rate what I have seen. Just read this line: FFC only does passion projects! Reading that "Megalopolis" might have a distributor the descripting states that there is no clear "good/bad" guy but in watching French film recently "Hostile" and others a French view can be more "Avant - garde". If so then I would be interested in seeing it. Have viewed a lot of "avant-garde" films in the past, it is art after all.
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Great topic. I give Coppola a ton of credit for the investment he made in himself. If you feel that strongly as an artist that you want to get your story to the screen then anything is necessary to make it happen. Especially when it’s an epic story and goes against traditional IP and remakes. I’m excited to see it at Cannes. Also, here’s a recent interview with Coppola:, https://thefilmstage.com/francis-ford-coppola-says-megalopolis-will-be-out-in-a-few-months/
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A true entrepreneurial artist! With any industry, I have come to accept what they do with certain IP to fuel the coffers. It is an industry, a creative one but similar to say a car company with new model and the steady state market production. The car company is either push or pull to the market. The Hollywood industry is "push". My interest is to get my finished work (working diligently) to perfect my interest into a paying position. It is what it is as an industry with that segment and a creative sector that should cater to consumer sentiment other than that it is a matter of " accounting and auditing" the money from the returns for the quarter then the year.
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In synopsis, is it an "unofficial" challenge anyhow for filmmakers outside of the Hollywood norm, to be independent or a prudent consensus to acquire new content and entrepreneurs, without the risk factors of investments etc.? Mmmm, I like the challenge anyhow! Then hats off to Coppola!