Despite investing $120 million of his own money into the project (via Screen Rant), Coppola’s dream Megalopolis release may fall at the final hurdle after a screening of the film failed to secure interest from potential distributors. As confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, the consensus was that the film was simultaneously too niche to be a financial success for a major studio and too big for a smaller, independent company to support. As a result, Megalopolis currently sits stranded in a precarious purgatory, with the film’s future uncertain.

Even after the distributor screening, details about what actually happens in the movie are limited. However, what is known about the film’s supposed blend of Ancient Roman politicking within a post-apocalyptic New York setting, combined with the consensus from major studios, suggests that it is not intended to have mass commercial appeal. From a financial perspective, it’s easy to see why this approach would be off-putting to potential investors and augur poorly for the film’s future. However, there is precedent from Coppola’s filmography to suggest that the situation is more exciting than it seems.

In some ways, the behind-the-scenes turmoil affecting Megalopolis is reminiscent of the chaos that surrounded some of Coppola’s best-loved movies. Like Megalopolis, The Godfather and Apocalypse Now had substantial issues off-camera, with The Godfather’s history being dramatic enough to warrant its own limited series, The Offer, and Apocalypse Now going down as one of the most notorious productions in movie history. However, despite these issues, the two films demonstrate Coppola’s undeniable ability to overcome adversity and suggest that Megalopolis can still be a success.

Comparisons between Megalopolis and Apocalypse Now in particular have been noted by the veteran director himself. When asked to comment on the negativity around the picture by The Daily Beast, Coppola responded that “this is exactly what happened with Apocalypse Now 40 years ago,” adding, “There were very contradicting views expressed, but the audience never stopped going to see the film, and to this day Apocalypse Now is still in very profitable distribution.” It remains to be seen whether such a comparison is warranted. Nevertheless, Coppola is correct to suggest that his movies have historically been capable of exceeding expectations.