Megalopolis' first full trailer insists it will stand the test of time

“True genius is often misunderstood,” begins the new Megalopolis trailer, a sentiment that could just as easily apply to the character Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) as it does to the film’s director, Francis Ford Coppola. In this case, though, it’s specifically about Coppola, as the trailer highlights the (potentially fake?) criticism he received for groundbreaking work like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It’s meant as a way to lean into the stories and reviews calling Megalopolis chaotic and messy. But it also serves to highlight the similarities between Coppola and his protagonist Cesar, a visionary architect fighting for the future. “There’s still so much to accomplish, but is there time?” Cesar wonders in the trailer. You have to imagine that the 85-year-old filmmaker is wondering the same. 

We have to admit, it’s pretty clever to make Megalopolis‘ baffling reputation part of the marketing for the movie. Following early screenings at Cannes, some critics have panned the film entirely, while others have admired its gonzo ambition. “Can one wonder at the grandeur of it all while still finding the resulting monstrosity a mix of overwhelming and tacky?” Jason Gorber wrote in his B- review for The A.V. Club. “Is this a masterwork, or the half-baked political philosophy of a late career iconoclast—one both raging at the dying light, yet finding hope in the furtive, feeble movements of a new generation?” 

The Megalopolis trailer decides to go the Nicki Minaj route—to paraphrase, you’re not gonna get it the first time you see it, after the second and third time you’re gonna be like “whoa, what is this,” it’s nothing like anything that’s out right now, etc. The voiceover makes the preview charmingly old school: “One filmmaker has always been ahead of his time,” Laurence Fishburne says. (Fishburne also narrates the film.) “Now, from visionary writer and director Francis Ford Coppola comes an event nothing can prepare you for.” Indeed, the trailer doesn’t really prepare you for the movie, which is actually a refreshing change of pace from all the trailers that give the entire plot away. This one is just full of intriguing snippets and grandiose, sometimes hedonistic shots paired with dialogue that gives you a vague idea of the ideological battle Cesar is fighting. Plus, there’s a shot of Aubrey Plaza’s character Wow Platinum inexplicably saying, “One two three, yippy yee” thrown in for good measure. 

As a method of piquing interest for Megalopolis, it certainly works. If fans weren’t already curious after the over-the-top reviews about an over-the-top spectacle, Coppola comparing the project to his own past masterworks will surely whet some more appetites. He already made a big bet on the movie, investing decades of his life and more than $100 million of his own money. Now he’s making another big bet that Megalopolis will stand the test of time—and that audiences will want to see for themselves if that’s true. You’ll have the opportunity when the film hits theaters on September 27.

This story has been updated after a report in Vulture pointed out that the critic quotes featured in the trailer might not be, in fact, real.