Francis Ford Coppola Forced To Sell Prized Watches After Sinking $120M Into Box Office Bomb, ‘Megalopolis’

Francis Ford Coppola has reportedly resorted to selling a large part of his prized watch collection after sinking $120 million to fund his film “Megalopolis.”

The famed director, known for classics such as “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now,” couldn’t repeat his successes in the latest film, which was plagued by production issues and eventually bombed at the box office.

Francis Ford Coppola also recently sparked concern from fans after he was admitted to a public hospital, but later explained that the visit was for a scheduled procedure.

Francis Ford Coppola To Sell Watch Collection After His Movie Flopped

The famed filmmaker seems to be strapped for cash after investing more than $100 million in the movie “Megalopolis.” According to the Daily Mail, the 86-year-old movie director has now decided to sell seven of his pricey watches through auction house Phillips.

Amongst the collection is Coppola’s $1 1million one-of-a-kind piece, which he designed himself alongside renowned watchmaker François-Paul Journe. The FP Journe FFC Prototype piece features a black-titanium human-like hand with the thumb and fingers extending or retracting to indicate different hours.

“Speaking with Francis in 2012 and hearing his idea on the use of a human hand to indicate time inspired me to create a watch I never could have imagined myself,” the watch co-designer Journe said.

He admitted that the challenge of creating the piece was “formidable,” but shared that it was “exactly the type of watchmaking project I adore.”

“After years of collaborating directly with Francis in the development process, it was a great pleasure to deliver this FFC prototype to him in 2021,” he added. “I’m proud to fully support the sale of this watch through Phillips to fund the creation of his artistic masterpieces in filmmaking.”

The Famous Director Said ‘Megalopolis’ Isn’t Any More Of A ‘Passion Project’ Than His Other Films

Coppola previously insisted he doesn’t consider it to be any more of a “passion project” than his other films.

“I think all my films are passion projects. Even when you’re doing a film for money, when you get down into the work, you’re passionate about it because cinema is something you can’t do without loving,” Coppola said.

The film director continued, “I’ve seen great directors like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg do something on their cut and then dance around like kids with enthusiasm.”

He then tagged the idea of a “passion project” as “another one of those coined phrases” before noting that “all making movies is passionate.”

Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ Bombed At The Box Office

Coppola is reportedly worth around $400 million and could afford to self-fund, rather than go through the traditional studio route, because he’s not motivated by money.

During the film’s premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, he said that he “never cared about money” and his three children “don’t need a fortune” from him.

After years of working behind the scenes, Coppola released the film in 2024, having made the huge investment to bring it to life.

However, it performed terribly at the Box Office, grossing just $14.3 million worldwide, with critics slamming it as “bloated,” “boring,” and a “head-wrecking abomination.”

The Award-Winning Director Faced A Scandal On Set

The “Rumble Fish” director faced accusations of exhibiting unprofessional behavior as he allegedly kissed extras on set and made others uncomfortable. He later addressed the claims, calling them “totally untrue.”

“If you read that piece, you’ll realize that whoever the sources were — and I honestly don’t know who the sources were — it’s the same people who provided quotes for that Hollywood Reporter piece that said all these people were fired or resigned, and that there was a mass exodus, all of that,” he said, per The Guardian.

Coppola insisted that the “truth of the matter” is that critics were only “looking for some sort of dirt,” explaining that the woman he kissed in regard to a particular scene was “a young woman I knew.

The director added, “It’s all so ridiculous. Look at the timing of that article. It’s right before we’re about to premiere the film at Cannes. They’re just trying to damage the picture.”

Francis Ford Coppola Recently Sparked Health Concerns

Coppola sparked worry among fans when he recently faced a health scare that left him needing to see a heart specialist, Dr. Andrea Natale.

Back in August, he was reportedly in Italy for a “creative reset” but was then admitted to a Roman public hospital, Policlinico Tor Vergata, after screening “Megalopolis” in Calabria.

However, he later took to Instagram to explain that the visit was a scheduled procedure and assured fans that they had nothing to worry about.

“I am well,” he captioned a photo of himself smiling, per the Daily Mail. “Da Dada (what my kids call me) is fine, taking an opportunity while in Rome to do the update of my 30-year-old AFib procedure with its inventor, a great Italian doctor – Dr. Andrea Natale! I am well!”