It's fair to say that Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopis was one of the most divisive pieces of pop culture released in 2024. IGN's Megalopolis review was pretty positive on Coppola's ambitious epic, but many reviews were far less kind. But, love it or hate it, Coppola fans now have the opportunity to experience this story in a whole new medium thanks to Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel.
With Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel in stores now, IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of the book. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below:
Megalopolis is adapted from Coppola's screenplay and is written by Chris Ryall (Zombies vs. Robots) and illustrated by Jacob Phillips (That Texas Blood). The book is published by Abrams ComicArts. Here's the official description of the graphic novel:
Set in the futuristic city of New Rome, Megalopolis originally captivated audiences with its masterful filmmaking, becoming one of Francis Ford Coppola's most widely discussed films. Now, in graphic novel form, it explores the gripping narrative of idealism versus corruption. Architect and dreamer Cesar Catilina seeks a utopian future, while Mayor Franklyn Cicero fights to preserve the status quo—rife with greed and political warfare. Caught between these powerful forces is Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter, whose romance with Cesar tests her loyalty and compels her to redefine her beliefs about what humanity truly deserves. The film, which features an all-star cast including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Aubrey Plaza, made its world premiere last year to a 10-minute standing ovation at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and was released theatrically and in IMAX globally on September 27, 2024.
"The 'Cloud Tower' sequence atop the Chrysler Building had been one of the key set pieces since the earliest days of Coppola’s development of Megalopolis. Going back decades," Ryall tells IGN about the above preview. "And it’s a very effective scene in the film, with Cesar precariously perched on the edge of the building as the wind whips clouds all around. And then, we’re not quite sure how he does it but Catalina commands time to STOP. And it does. The clouds freeze in the sky; the cars and pedestrians far below likewise stop."
Ryall continues, "Which is all well and good… but how do you show that in static panels on a flat comic book page? Without the ability to freeze on a frame or use sound or moving images in a unique way to convey this, we had to find another way to stop time – luckily, that’s basically what an artist does, is stop time. In this case, we played with color, flattening the colors on the page to their basics, the world in all its rich, colorful fullness stopping all around Cesar. But even amidst the flatness of the scene, it’s the dialogue that gives it color. Cesar first utters the line that he repeats in multiple sequences, the phrase that basically dictates his approach to the world: 'I will not let time have dominion over my soul.'”
Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel is available in bookstores and comic shops now. You can order a copy on Amazon.
In other comic book news, check out our exclusive previews of Adventure Time: The Bubbline College Special #1 and Dracula: Book III - The Count.
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