'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgP/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM/jwV//xAAhEAACAQMDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwEABhEEBTETFCGx0f/aAAgBAQABPwA7dQzbW90ZE5hGK5DgJHGPdMtvVCZD1EeJxzPyv//EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAERL/2gAIAQIBAT8AyAVP/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADH/2gAIAQMBAT8Ar//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Megadoc is a documentary film that follows the production of the 2024 film Megalopolis by Francis Ford Coppola. The documentary films the behind-the-scenes work on set, recording rehearsals and interviews with the cast and crew.
It also shows disagreement and changes in plans, showing staff changes and problems with equipment. The film presents Coppola making choices about casting, design, and effects. Megadoc uses archive material from earlier stages of making Megalopolis, presenting footage and interviews. It does not present a dramatized re-creation of events.
The film is directed by Mike Figgis, who arrives on set in November 2022 to record rehearsals. He works with one assistant and uses a Z8 camera. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 28, 2025, and includes table reads and rehearsals. It records decisions about the budget and schedule, and shows moments of disagreement.
Trending
Therefore, Megadoc is based on a true story because it documents actual events from the making of Megalopolis. The film does not claim to be fiction. It records events and leaves interpretation to the viewer.
Megadoc origins and production details
The origins of Megadoc trace back to Mike Figgis’ connection with Francis Ford Coppola, established while Figgis was making Leaving Las Vegas. After reaching out, Figgis was granted access to film the process of Megalopolis. He joined the set in Atlanta in 2022 to capture rehearsals.
Working with one assistant and a Z8 camera, he documented the cast and crew on set and in post-production. The project also incorporates archive material from table reads and rehearsals in 2001 and 2003, which serve as a foundation for the documentary.
The film records moments of conflict on set, documenting the firing of the visual effects supervisor and the departure of part of the art department. It also captures repeated clashes between Coppola and Shia LaBeouf, including an exchange where Coppola called LaBeouf the “biggest pain” before later apologizing by email.
Aubrey Plaza is shown improvising during rehearsals and engaging Dustin Hoffman in unscripted moments. Coppola’s late wife Eleanor also appears in the film, marking their 60th wedding anniversary on set before her death in 2024.
Megadoc highlights the scale of spending with figures displayed on screen, such as $27 million for design and $18.8 million for visual effects. Coppola comments that the project felt larger than Apocalypse Now. His theatre-like approach to filmmaking clashed with the planning needed for large-scale effects. Reports note he would often change plans mid-day, creating further strain for crew members.
The film runs for 107 minutes. Utopia distributes the film in North America and Studiocanal internationally. The film includes appearances from Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, and Shia LaBeouf, showing both conflict and collaboration on set. A trailer was released on September 2, 2025, and the film was released in the United States on September 19, 2025.
Stay tuned for more updates.
