Francis Ford Coppola Reacts to Trump’s Movie Tariffs, Says ‘Megalopolis’ Is “Selling Out Screenings” Since 2024 Election

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Francis Ford Coppola is sharing his opinions on Donald Trump’s proposed movie tariffs.

On a recent chat with GQ magazine, as a gamer, I’d put it like this: During a casual sit-down on Friday, the director of The Godfather movie series spoke about the unclear situation surrounding the tariffs the president announced over the weekend. He warned that if these tariffs were implemented, it would be akin to slamming the brakes on any potential financial benefits for our country.

What it essentially does is foster confusion. People fail to comprehend that the global economy under the previous administration wasn’t merely experiencing domestic inflation, but rather a widespread, worldwide inflationary trend,” Coppola explained. “The United States, in particular, excelled during this period, which other countries admired. Consequently, the U.S. amassed significant wealth before this new administration took office. Now, with the implementation of these tariffs, it’s as if we’re shutting the door on a highly prosperous economic situation.

Coppola disclosed that since Trump’s reelection, there has been a surge in screenings of his movie, “Megalopolis.” This film depicts a comparison between the decline of the Roman Republic and the future of the U.S. He stated that when the movie was released in September 2024, it was remarkably accurate to suggest America is similar to Rome – it might lose its democratic system. He also noted that this recent increase in interest mirrors the rise of the 1979 war film, “Apocalypse Now.

Just as Apocalypse Now initially faced a similar fate, it was poorly received and criticized heavily, being labeled as one of the worst films ever made. However, despite this, audiences continued to watch it. This same pattern seems to be repeating itself with Megalopolis now.

Before the movie’s premiere, Coppola explained his motivation behind creating “an American epic akin to ancient Rome” at the New York Film Festival. He stated that, “Today, America is like Rome, and they’re on the verge of experiencing the same downfall, for the same reasons that Rome lost its republic and transitioned into an empire. It was quite foresightful to make a film about America as Rome because it’s going to happen in just a few months,” he added.

He noted that a similar situation occurred then as now: Rome was thriving, but the senators were more focused on amassing wealth and power because they had it, neglecting to manage the country effectively. The same issue persists here – our representatives are wealthy and prioritize their own power over governing, putting us in danger of losing what we have.”

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“He pointed out that during Rome’s prosperity, senators were more preoccupied with accumulating wealth and power for themselves, rather than managing the country. This is a problem we see repeated today – our representatives are wealthy and prioritize their own power over governing, which could lead to us losing what we have.

Remarkably, the movie “Megalopolis” is not accessible for online streaming; instead, its director has opted to screen it in cinemas across various locations. Previously, an insider shared with The Hollywood Reporter that the film wasn’t available for streaming as Coppola wished it to be played in theaters, reflecting the original intention. This preference was echoed during a recent interview on Friday.

The five-time Academy Award winner explained that his upcoming 2024 drama, for which he invested $120 million, won’t be available for streaming yet because it’s still being screened in cinemas. He also emphasized that he doesn’t want anyone to have exclusive ownership of the film.

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2025-05-10 04:54