Francisโ Ford Coppola has been โcompelled toโข liquidate a portion โคof his personal collection of prized watches โto recoup funds following โคthe โfinancial failure of his โคpassion project, “Megalopolis.” The legendaryโข director reportedly invested $120โข million ofโ hisโ own money into the scienceโ fictionโ epic, which has significantly underperformedโ at the boxโค office.
The sale, announced via a Christie’s auction, includes a rare Patek Philippeโ watch gifted to Coppola by Marlon Brando during the filming ofโ “The Godfather,” โฃas well as other significant timepieces accumulated over his illustrious โคcareer. The auction โขisโข a stark illustration of the financialโ risk Coppola โundertook to โคrealize his vision for “Megalopolis,” a film decades โฃin the making. Theโ move underscores the challenges independent filmmakers face โคin securing funding and navigating the current cinematic landscape, even for established auteurs.
Coppola recently โaddressed a health scare in August, attributing a hospital visit in rome to a scheduled โprocedure to update a decades-old treatment for atrial fibrillation with dr. Andrea Natale. โHe โคassured โfans via instagram,”I am well. โDa Dada (what my kids call me) is fineโฆ I am well!” However, the financial strainโข from “Megalopolis” appears to be a more โขpressing concern.
The auction, titledโฃ “The heart of โคa Collector,” features watchesโข representing milestones in Coppola’s life and career. โThe โPatek philippe, estimated to be worth between $600,000 and $1.2 million,โ carriesโค particular emotional โขweight as a gift โฃfrom Brando. Proceeds from the sale will reportedly helpโค offset the โample losses incurred by “Megalopolis,” โwhichโฃ has garnered mixed reviews and limited box office success despite its ambitious scope and Coppola’s celebrated filmmaking pedigree.
