No 2024 film sparked as much debate as Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis. This audacious, unconventional – and to some viewers, bewildering – cinematic epic became an instant conversation starter after its Cannes Film Festival premiere last year, stirring both admiration and skepticism throughout its release cycle. Now audiences will experience the story through another medium, as Megalopolis prepares for adaptation as a graphic novel.
The reinterpretation will be titled Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel, with Abrams ComicArts scheduled to publish the volume in October, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project reunites writer Chris Ryall (known for adapting works by Stephen King, Harlan Ellison and Clive Barker) with illustrator Jacob Phillips (Newburn, That Texas Blood).
"I entrusted Chris Ryall with developing this graphic novel adaptation with creative freedom—while inspired by my film, it shouldn't feel constrained by it," Coppola explained in a statement. "My hope was for the graphic novel to evolve as an artistic sibling to the film rather than a mere duplicate. What Chris, Jacob Phillips and the Abrams team have created validates my belief that art thrives when given room to breathe, becoming complementary expressions that enrich our audience's experience."
The story follows visionary architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) as he pursues his destiny to construct a futuristic utopia, clashing with New Rome's conservative mayor (Giancarlo Esposito) in this modern Roman fable. While their ideological battle reflects contemporary urban development struggles, the narrative transcends time through mythological allegory.
The film currently remains unavailable on streaming platforms but can be purchased or rented through major digital retailers.
