Reading International, Inc. is bringing Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis back to the big screen, booking the film into theaters nationwide — from New York to Hawaii — for a simultaneous screening on October 24, 2026. Venues taking part include Village East Cinemas in New York, among others around the country.
The screening will be followed by a live-streamed Q&A with Coppola, moderated by his son and collaborator Roman Coppola, who served as second unit director on the film. Audience members will be able to text in questions before, during, and after the screening, and Coppola will answer the best of them live during the presentation.
"Megalopolis is back in its rightful place, Theaters, and the interest in seeing it as was intended is growing," Coppola said. "I am excited to take part in an interactive Q&A across multiple theaters simultaneously."
Coppola financed Megalopolis himself, turning it into one of the most expensive independent films ever made, after dreaming about the project for decades. He has said he hopes the film will be discovered and debated by audiences long after his death, much as his other films have been, pointing to its themes of rebuilding cities and navigating polarizing political factions as reasons he believes it will remain relevant. The ensemble cast includes Adam Driver, Shia LaBeouf, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Nathalie Emmanuel, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza and Giancarlo Esposito.
Each screening will include a hard copy of a letter from Coppola containing his official director's statement, handed to audience members to read before the film begins. The presentations will also feature the film's famed "Live Element," a unique component that was only available at select screenings during the film's original theatrical run.
Beyond the October 24 event, Megalopolis will return to theaters periodically, including a planned tradition of screening the film at multiple theaters every New Year's Day. Coppola has said this annual screening fulfills his wish for the film to serve as a symbol of people coming together to discuss ideas for improving society.
Photo: Cristo Vlahos, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
