Coppola unveils Megalopolis’ graphic novel: A new addition to his sci-fi saga/universe

Following the box office bomb that his long-term passion project Megalopolis turned out to be last year, veteran director Francis Ford Coppola has now unveiled the Megalopolis graphic novel. Chris Ryall has written Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel, the artwork for which has been done by Jacob Phillips. It is expected that Abrams ComicArts will launch and distribute the graphic novel sometime in October of this year.

While it's not clear how much of the graphic novel will be based on the film, Coppola himself has stated that he wishes the graphic novel to be a counterpart of the film and not merely a reflection of the same.

Here's everything that we know.

Francis Ford Coppola presents the Megalopolis graphic novel

Coppola recently released an official statement marking the release of the graphic novel, summarizing his thoughts on the subject:

"I was pleased to put the idea of a graphic novel in the competent hands of Chris Ryall with the idea that, although it was inspired by my film Megalopolis, it didn’t necessarily have to be limited by it, I hoped the graphic novel would take its own flight, with its own artists and writer so that it would be a sibling of the film, rather than just an echo. That’s what I feel Chris, Jacob Phillips and the team at Abrams ComicArts have accomplished. It confirms my feeling that art can never be constrained, but rather always a parallel expression, and part of the bounty we can make available to our patrons, audiences and readers."

In a similar vein, writer Chris Ryall stated:

"Coppola’s storytelling challenged and inspired me at every turn,” adding that “collaborating with Jacob Phillips brought new depth to the narrative. With Abrams ComicArts, we’ve created something that both honors and expands the world of the original film.”

In the past, Ryall has been noted for adapting the works of popular writers such as Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, and Clive Barker. Jacob Phillips, who is responsible for the art of the graphic novel, also noted:

"Megalopolis is a giant, awe-inspiring tale which insisted I pushed my artwork to new levels to meet the challenge."

Lastly, Joseph Montagne of Abrams Publishing remarked:

"Coppola’s storytelling genius, paired with Ryall’s writing and Phillips’ dynamic artistry, makes Megalopolis a true landmark in the graphic novel literary canon.”

While Megalopolis was a lifelong dream project for Coppola, and he invested much of his own money, drawing heavily from his fortune amassed from the sales of his wine manufacturing company, the film failed to make an impression at the box office. Although it was honored with a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened for the first time, the Godfather director's latest film proved to be too oblique and abstract to catch the fancy of a mainstream audience.

Megalopolis follows an obsessive and ambitious architect by the name of Cesar Catilina, played by actor Adam Driver, who wishes to fashion his version of a large utopian city after the discovery of a strange, shapeshifting, and sustainable building material. However, Catilina's designs are threatened by the Mayor of the city, Franklyn Cicero, played by Giancarlo Esposito, who is hell bent on prevailing the established order.

While the city in which the entire narrative of the film is based appears to be a futuristic version of New York, heavy Roman undertones and references are undercutting the narrative of the film at all times.

As Coppola has already invested much of his wealth into the production and distribution of the film, it is expected that proceeds from the sales of the graphic novel could provide him with certain relief. It isn't known at this point whether the veteran director has opted for any profit-sharing model with Abrams ComicArts or otherwise.

Francis Ford Coppola opens up about Megalopolis

Before the release of Megalopolis last year, Coppola had spoken exclusively to NPR about his latest film. Megalopolis had been occupying much of the director's attention ever since the 1980s and had almost made it to production numerous times before being called off at the last moment.

The interview started with Coppola being asked about the film as one of his enduring passion projects over the years, and the Apocalypse Now director was quick to point out that all of his films have been passion projects and that his approach to each film that he helmed determined his style based on the content of the film. He also noted:

"The Godfather is very classical. Apocalypse Now is very wild. One From the Heart was very theatrical. So I began to wonder what my style was. And of course my style is based on whatever theme that the movie is about. And in my wanting to learn what my style would be, I came upon the idea that it would be fun and I would enjoy doing the Roman epic."

Since the film repeatedly makes references to the Roman era and juxtaposes it against the present landscape of the US, including architectural and social parallels and the like, the director went on to explain the reasons behind the comparison in detail:

"In the course of my research, it was very clear that America…based itself on Rome, when it left the English and didn't want a king. And if you know your history, you know the Roman Republic was invented because they didn't want a king…And (then), ironically, Rome was repeating what the ancient counterpart did, and its senators were more concerned with their own power and their own money. And that's how Rome lost its republic. And there was the possibility that we, the modern Rome – which is America – (were) going to repeat (that) historical counterpart. And I thought that was very, very interesting and very prescient."

Coppola further added:

"Our system seems to be based on a population of people who are unfulfilled – or said another way, people who are unhappy, and are kept that way deliberately, because our major activity is to sell them a little piece of happiness…And it’s clear that if the people were happy, they wouldn't be interested and there would be good customers. But…I believe that they're deliberately kept unhappy through various means so that they'll be good customers."

Megalopolis is available to rent on Apple TV+.