Francis Ford Coppola Has a Scathing View of Streaming Services: ‘It’s Anti-Art!’

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As a seasoned cinephile who’s witnessed the evolution of cinema since the days of black-and-white reels, I wholeheartedly stand with Francis Ford Coppola on this one. Streaming services may be the future, but they will never replicate the grandeur and magic of a cinematic experience in a real, non-multiplex theater. The communal spirit, the shared awe, the palpable tension or laughter – it’s all lost in the comfort of our living rooms.

In contrast to numerous successful filmmakers who favor the streaming platform for movie releases today, Francis Ford Coppola is standing his ground and believes that nothing beats the cinema-going experience compared to streaming. Recently, Coppola brought back his self-financed, debatable masterpiece “Megalopolis” to the big screen. During its production, this film faced difficulty in finding a distributor due to Coppola investing an estimated $120 million of his personal funds into it. Although “Megalopolis” ultimately secured a theatrical release through Lionsgate, it seems that Coppola would have refused any of the numerous streaming services as an alternative.

In accordance with Discussing Film’s report, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola expressed his candid perspective on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Instead of focusing solely on their perceived quality issues, Coppola challenged these services from an existential standpoint, implying that streaming is merely a more sophisticated term for “home video.” Essentially, he argued that streaming is just a modern evolution of watching videos at home.

“Streaming is a dumb phrase because, what it really is, we’ve always had it. It’s called home video.”

Regarding the film Megalopolis, opinions may vary, but it’s undeniable that Francis Ford Coppola is deeply committed to realizing his artistic vision with minimal corporate intervention. This dedication was evident when he critiqued the streaming industry for its profit-driven approach, claiming that many streamers prioritize subscriber numbers over high-quality movies – an irony given that major studios once had similar concerns about Megalopolis competing with theater sales. As Coppola himself stated:

“Streaming moves in a direction of a business model, where they’re trying to get subscriptions. And,
to me, it’s anti-art.
Better that people go to a big theater — not a multiplex, but a real theater and see a movie with 300 people. I still remember going to see Bridge On the River Kwai, or Lawrence of Arabia. I’ll never forget it. And you can’t have that experience just in your living room.”

Francis Ford Coppola failed to elaborate on why multiplexes do not count as “real theaters,” or why 300 is the optimal audience size (maybe he’s a big fan of Zack Snyder).

Megalopolis Could Be a Major Box Office Flop

Despite the fact that Megalopolis has faced criticism due to its questionable marketing strategy and numerous issues, Coppola’s unwavering commitment to his artistic vision deserves recognition. Regrettably, this recognition may not extend to financial success. Initial predictions suggest that Megalopolis will only earn around $5-7 million during its opening weekend, which means Coppola won’t be able to afford to repurchase his vineyard anytime soon.

Should Megalopolis underperform as heavily predicted, it wouldn’t only mean a significant financial setback for Francis Ford Coppola, but also for Lionsgate who have invested significantly in the movie’s promotion. Interestingly, Lionsgate experienced an unusual weak phase during the second half of 2024. Megalopolis might be their third major disappointment following Borderlands and The Crow, which failed to resonate with audiences not long ago.

Megalopolis
is finally screening in theaters.

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2024-09-27 19:04