Today, Francis Ford Coppola will at last unveil Megalopolis—the legendary director's years-in-the-making epic, in which he's invested over $100 million of his own money—at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. It is Coppola's first film to premiere in competition at the festival since 1979's Apocalypse Now, which earned him his second Palme d'Or award. All eyes will be on Megalopolis as it endeavors to find a distributor and pay off its filmmaker's extraordinary bet on himself.
But perhaps most importantly of all, today's premiere will give Coppola his latest opportunity to get a goddamn fit off on the French Riviera. Cannes has long been the most glamorous festival on the circuit, and as the proprietor of the Instagram account @DirectorFits, I can say with studied certainty that few directors have taken more advantage of that status than Coppola. The Godfather auteur has been attending the event for a whopping 57 years now—as a competitor, a jury president, an honored guest, and a supportive father. In that time, he's wielded his fearless, inimitable style to superb effect, mixing up classic suits with freaky Hawaiian shirts, righteous patterns with rich textures, and mismatched socks with suave berets.
In eager anticipation of Coppola's sure-to-be incredible ensemble at the Megalopolis premiere, I've taken the liberty of rounding up 10 of his greatest Cannes looks of all time. Salute, king!
Fresh out of UCLA film school, Coppola debuted his second feature You're a Big Boy Now at Cannes in 1967. He chose a bold, natty ensemble for the occasion, but the minute details—pants a little too short, sleeves a touch too long—point to a recent college grad who hasn't quite dialed his style in yet.
Now that's what we call tailoring. In lieu of standard black-and-white formalwear, Coppola accepted his Palme d’Or award for The Conversation ensconced in a lush green velvet tux.
As far as fit pic backdrops go, it's tough to beat the shimmering French Riviera—especially when you're decked out in complementary tones of deep blue and chocolatey brown. In 1979, a nervous Coppola stood before reporters in Cannes to defend the long-delayed Apocalypse Now, which for years had been dubbed “Apocalypse When” in the press.
Yup, that's an ever-stylish Sofia on his shoulders. A father-daughter tuxedo moment so iconic that family friend Wes Anderson eventually used it as inspiration for a scene in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
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Three GOATs. Coppola and George Lucas produced their friend Paul Schrader’s film, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, and showed up at Cannes for its premiere. Nearly four decades later, we’ll see this trio of legends reunited on the Croissete in 2024.
In the early '90s, Coppola began incorporating Hawaiian shirts into his wardrobe, which were custom-made for him using deadstock fabrics by a costume designer friend. He often paired them with crisp suits, bringing a touch of levity and chaos to an otherwise classic uniform.
The Hawaiian shirt era continues. Paired with breezy white linen pants, this cheery number feels especially appropriate for accepting an award on the beach in the Cote d’Azur.
Peep the elegant monogram on the chest pocket. Pure class.
With his wife Eleanor in tow, proud papa Francis appeared at the premiere of Sofia's film Marie Antoinette in an apropos pink shirt, a fetching blue bowtie, and a traditional cummerbund beneath his tuxedo jacket.
The best way to beat the French heat? A creamsicle-colored, short-sleeve vacation shirt.