Francis Ford Coppola is finally making his dream project Megalopolis

The director originally unveiled the project at Cannes in May 2001, only for it to be shelved after the terror attacks of 9/11

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Francis Ford Coppola is resuming work on his dream project, Megalopolis.

The director originally unveiled the project at Cannes in May 2001, only for it to be shelved after the terror attacks of 9/11. The film deals with an architect’s attempt to build a utopia in the middle of New York City, so the material was deemed too sensitive for the time.

However, according to Deadline, the director now has a script and has begun speaking informally to potential stars, including Jude Law.

“So yes, I plan this year to begin my longstanding ambition to make a major work utilizing all I have learned during my long career, beginning at age 16 doing theater, and that will be an epic on a grand scale, which I’ve entitled Megalopolis,” he said.

“It is unusual; it will be a production on a grand scale with a large cast. It makes use of all of my years of trying films in different styles and types culminating in what I think is my own voice and aspiration. It is not within the mainstream of what is produced now, but I am intending and wishing and in fact encouraged, to begin production this year.”

Coppola will debut Apocalypse Now: Final Cut at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, intended to be the director’s own definitive version of the film.