10 Movies That Ruined Their Studios

One of the all-time greats and a pioneer of New Hollywood, Francis Ford Coppola made his name in the 1970s, churning out masterpiece after masterpiece, before moving into a slower lane for the '80s and '90s that saw him put out several good movies, albeit not quite the calibre of his previous work.

Unfortunately, Coppola’s early successes gave him a self-certainty as a director that has not served his career well. Several times over the years, his production companies have gone bust due to his anticipation of what a film might be worth to audiences not meeting expectations. And many times it has been his own money on the line.

Such is the case with last year’s Megalopolis, a ropey epic sci-fi about architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) who clashes with corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), as Catilina seeks to revitalise an alternate NYC by turning it into the titular Megalopolis. Coppola funded the ~$135 million film through his company American Zoetrope, using his own cash, and it returned just $14 million at theatres – theatres who were reluctant to show it at all.

Coppola and American Zoetrope are now facing financial ruin, and the director is hocking his watches to try and remain solvent. But don’t think for a second that this will stop him from trying again!