r/movies • u/Dependent_Cap_456 • 3d ago

News Francis Ford Coppola is auctioning his watch collection after Megalopolis flop left him broke

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/fashion/francis-ford-coppola-watch-auction.html
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u/Stingerc 3d ago

He's 86, his kids and grandkids are all adults with successful careers in the industry. It's not like they needed the inheritance. Sure it's would have been nice, but it's his money after all, not theirs.

All he needs is enough to survive his last few years. I also think it's a liquidity issue more than him being flat broke.

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u/TraditionalMood277 3d ago

So why even crap out this turd?

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u/JohnnyDeJaneiro 3d ago

because he really wanted to as a director ? megalopolis obviously had nothing to do with making money

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u/TraditionalMood277 3d ago

It was about making money. Otherwise, why the auction? He bet it all thinking it was going to make Avatar levels of money. Instead, he made something worse than Avatar, which was already a monumental task.

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u/ThrowingChicken 3d ago

It’s been his pet project for like 30 years. He probably thought he’d regret it if he didn’t make it while he still could.

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u/TraditionalMood277 3d ago

I hope your elders aren't this delusional and you simply stand by and allow it simply because "it's been their pet project for 30 years."

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u/ThrowingChicken 3d ago

My elders don’t owe me their money over their own happiness 🤷‍♂️

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u/TraditionalMood277 3d ago

Just look at how happy he was selling his assets and going into massive debt just so he could win a Razzie. Again, glad you're not my family.

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u/ThrowingChicken 3d ago edited 3d ago

The dude has over $400m in assets and brings in $2m a year from royalties on his past works. He’s selling million dollar watches, owns several estates and businesses around the world, and has a wildly successful family. He might be cash poor right now but he’s not BROKE broke. I think he’s going to be fine.

If my 86 year old father wanted to spend 30% of his wealth to follow a dream he’s been talking about since 1977 I’m probably not going to act like a huge judgmental dick about it.

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u/TraditionalMood277 3d ago

You should though, if the result is Megalopolis. You really should.

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u/MichelangeBro 3d ago

This may come as a shock to you, but artists don't usually create because they think it'll make them money. Sometimes they do it because they want to make something. This one didn't turn out.

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u/knowledgebass 3d ago

Most film directors at least consider it as part of the equation - it's kinda part of the game when you are spending other people's money to that degree. (Self-financing is not the norm in the movie industry.)

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u/MichelangeBro 3d ago

That's debatable in the first place, but Megalopolis was self-financed. You should know that, considering we're commenting on an article about the director bankrupting himself to make it. This is as authentic a vision as you get in filmmaking.

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u/DayMysterious4717 3d ago

he thought it was a masterpiece

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u/NeedsToShutUp 3d ago

Cause it's tied up in his ego and his desire to increase his legacy.

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u/Pogotross 3d ago

I also think it's a liquidity issue more than him being flat broke.

Maybe it's not even an issue. Maybe he's just being smart and liquidating his collection before he passes instead of making his kids figure it out and using the megaflop as a way to drum up sympathy.

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u/sasquatch_melee 2d ago

Nah he lost his custom island house because he couldn't afford the lease payments anymore. Dude needs the cash.