Francis Ford Coppola isn’t done with “Megalopolis.” After Quentin Tarantino wrote a novel version of his “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” feature (which is now getting a sequel from David Fincher), Coppola has announced that he is turning his 2024 film “Megalopolis” into a graphic novel.
The book will be written by Chris Ryall, who has adapted Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Harlan Ellison’s works as well. Coppola explains that while it’s inspired by the film, it will be much more than that.
“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,” Coppola said in a statement to THR. “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, [artist] 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.”
The “Francis Ford Coppola‘s Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel” will be released in October 2025.
“Megalopolis” starred Adam Driver as architect Cesar Catilina, who strives to create a utopian city while battling Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Aubrey Plaza co-starred in the Cannes feature that Coppola self-funded for $120 million. The film went on to “win” the Razzie award for Worst Director, as well as Voight as Worst Supporting Actor. While some at IndieWire were big fans of the ambition on display, it was a polarizing title, and it flopped hard at the box office with just $14.3 million worldwide.
However, there are the “Megalopolis” fans, including “Francis Ford Coppola‘s Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel” scribe Ryall, who said that Coppola’s “storytelling challenged and inspired me at every turn” with the film. “Collaborating with Jacob Phillips brought new depth to the narrative,” he said. “With Abrams ComicArts, we’ve created something that both honors and expands the world of the original film.”
Phillips in turn stated, “‘Megalopolis’ is a giant, awe-inspiring tale which insisted I pushed my artwork to new levels to meet the challenge,” as Abrams publisher Joseph Montagne said. “Coppola’s storytelling genius, paired with Ryall’s writing and Phillips’ dynamic artistry, makes ‘Megalopolis’ a true landmark in the graphic novel literary canon.”
Coppola will receive the AFI Life Achievement Award during the Gala Tribute at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA on April 26.
THR, which first reported the news, shared artwork from the graphic novel’s cover.
