Francis Ford Coppola hospitalised in Italy
Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola is recovering at an Italian hospital after undergoing a medical procedure.
The acclaimed Godfather director was in Calabria, Italy, for a screening of his latest project when he was taken to the hospital on August 4th. Local media reports that Coppola suffered atrial fibrillation, more commonly known as an irregular heartbeat, before undergoing a planned operation.
Before entering the operating room, doctors noted that he was suffering from an irregular heartbeat and needed to undergo a procedure with a physician.
In a statement given by Coppola’s doctors to Rolling Stone, a source close to the director said: “Mr. Coppola went in for a scheduled update procedure with acclaimed Dr. Andrea Natale, his doctor of over 30 years, and is resting nicely.”
The source added: “All is well and he appreciates everyone’s concerns.”
This news comes as Coppola continues his tour across the world screening Megalopolis, and his visit to Italy also reportedly coincides with scouting locations for his next project.
Despite the mixed reception and loss at the box office, Megalopolis remained a true labour to get off the ground for the esteemed director. While he had the idea of a film depicting modern-day America like the fall of the Roman Empire, his first attempt to produce the film in 1989 fell through, as well as a second attempt in 2001, before it finally hit theatres in 2024.
Once the film had its initial run, Coppola decided to tour Megalopolis rather than sell it to any streaming service. While the film received a lukewarm reception upon release, Coppola felt that his movie is getting a resurgence following the 2024 election, saying, “After the election, people are selling out screenings of Megalopolis—the way it was intended to be seen. Being that it was so prophetic or prescient to say America is like Rome—it’s going to maybe lose its republic—now people are rushing to see it in theaters.”
The news also comes soon after his wife, Eleanor, passed away in April 2024 following a battle with thymoma. While she had gone through chemotherapy when it was first discovered in 2010, she had refused any treatment and decided to focus mainly on her work in film.
As of yet, there has been no word on what project Coppola has lined up next.
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