Why Francis Ford Coppola Risked $120 Million of His Wealth Funding a Movie: 'Money Doesn't Matter'

Director Francis Ford Coppola made 'Megalopolis' using his personal wealth rather than partner with a film studio

Francis Ford Coppola is explaining his approach to spending an estimated $120 million of his own money to make his new film.

The director, 85, premiered his new film Megalopolis at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival May 16, and at a press conference for the film he said he "never cared about money" after he was asked how he now feels about funding it himself.

"I have no problems with the financials — also, another thing, my children, without exception, Sofia, Roman and my granddaughter Gia, they have wonderful careers without a fortune. They don't need a fortune," he said, after explaining that he used money gained from purchasing a number of wineries in the 2000s to fund the project.

"So no matter what happens, aside form the great winery Inglenook which we still own in the family, we're fine," he added. "It doesn't matter ... the money doesn't matter. What's important are friends. Because a friend will never let you down; money may evaporate."

Related: Francis Ford Coppola Brings His Granddaughter Romy, 17, to Cannes Premiere of Megalopolis

Coppola first shared that he had spent $120 million of his own money funding Megalopolis in a 2022 GQ cover story. At the time, the outlet noted the filmmaker had sold some of his wineries in order to establish a line of credit to pay for the movie.

“I couldn't care less about the financial impact whatsoever. It means nothing to me," he said at that time, adding, "It's not as if $120 million is the extent of what I have." 

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Coppola shared his daughter Sofia, 53, and son Roman, a second unit director on Megalopolis, with his late wife Eleanor, who died at 87 in April. The couple also shared son Gian-Carlo, who died at age 22 in a boating accident in 1986.

Even in 2022, Coppola told GQ he was not concerned with how funding Megalopolis may affect his family's future, saying, "I have bequeathed much to all my children. And then they themselves, the greatest thing I bequeathed to my children is their know-how and their talent. Sofia is not going to have a problem. Roman's not going to have a problem. They're all very capable."

Related: Kevin Costner Defends Using $38 Million of His Fortune on Horizon Films: 'I Do What I Believe In'

Megalopolis stars Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Grace VanderWaal, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel and Shia LaBeouf, who each joined Coppola in Cannes for its premiere.

"A genius artist with the power to stop time fights an arch-conservative mayor to save the dying modern world and inspire hope," reads a longline for the film, which notes it is "told as a Roman Epic."

While Megalopolis does not yet have a deal in place to distribute the film theatrically in the United States, Coppola and IMAX have stated the movie will eventually release in IMAX theaters around the world, multiple outlets reported May 16.

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