Megalopolis and Joker 2, same fight? Coppola supports Todd Phillips

The legendary filmmaker sent a message to the director of Folie à Deux: “He is always one step ahead…”

These are the two most resounding flops of the fall (even if not quite in the same proportions): Megalopolis has still not surpassed the $10 million mark in worldwide revenue, light years short of its disproportionate $130 million budget, largely self-financed by Coppola himself. Joker 2for its part, had a catastrophic start, 2.5 times below the score of the first part in 2019, and is heading towards a small industrial accident (based on its production budget of 200 million).

Two huge films from the fall, which failed at the box office, because they initially failed to convince critics and the public. The first returns of Megalopolis were immediately worrying, in the wake of its Cannes screening. The press did not buy into Coppola's vision and neither did the spectators. Same observation and same consequences for Joker 2blasted by critics since his visit to Venice.

Two surprisingly parallel trajectories, reinforced by this message of Francis Ford Coppola on the networks: the 85-year-old director wrote a message of support to his colleague on Instagram Todd Phillips. He assures that his films “always manage to surprise me and I appreciate them immensely. Since the wonderful Hangover, Todd is always one step ahead of the audience and never does what is expected of him. Congratulations on Joker: Folie à Deux !”

Between the lines, we guess that Coppola emphasizes the talent of Todd Phillips against the rest of the world. Implied, Joker 2 is not a failed film, it is a misunderstood film. As Megalopolis (what this famous trailer wanted to highlight, embellished with false quotes). So between misunderstood geniuses, do we understand each other?