There was no movie released in 2024 as divisive as Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. The bold, unique, and, to some, bizarre epic was the talk of the town immediately upon its premiere at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and became a major subject of both praise and ridicule as the year progressed. But now, the filmmaker will present the story in another form, as Megalopolis is set to be released as a graphic novel.
The reinterpretation of the film will be titled Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel, and Abrams ComicArts will be publishing the book sometime in October, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It will be written by Chris Ryall, who is perhaps best known for his adaptations of major genre writers’ works including Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, and Clive Barker. Illustrations will be done by Jacob Phillips, whose work includes Newburn and That Texas Blood.
“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,” Coppola told the outlet in a statement.
“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.”
Megalopolis follows a forward-thinking architect (Adam Driver) who believes it is his destiny to build a modern utopian city, but in the process makes an enemy of his city’s mayor (Giancarlo Esposito), who wants nothing more than to squash his plans to revitalize New Rome — as this is, of course, a Roman fable of sorts — into Megalopolis.
The film is not currently available to stream but is available to rent or buy where you get your movies.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
