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Disney to Open First Zootopia-Themed Attraction in Shanghai 

A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse appears in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World, Jan. 15, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP)
A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse appears in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World, Jan. 15, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP)
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Disney to Open First Zootopia-Themed Attraction in Shanghai 

A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse appears in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World, Jan. 15, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP)
A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse appears in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World, Jan. 15, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP)

Shanghai Disney Resort will open a Zootopia-themed attraction to the public on Wednesday aiming to capitalize on a post-pandemic desire for travel and experiences in China.

Zootopia, which came out in Chinese cinemas in 2016, remains one of the highest grossing imported animated films ever released in the country.

This marks Disney's first Zootopia-themed site and the eighth themed area at the Shanghai Disney Resort which opened in 2016 and was expanded in 2018 with a Toy Story-themed attraction.

While consumption in China has been slow to bounce back following the lifting of COVID-19 curbs a year ago, domestic travel and experiences have rebounded more strongly, with Shanghai Disney Resort one of the beneficiaries.

"I think what you saw over the last year as people emerge from the virus is them getting out and experiencing life again," said Joe Schott, president and general manager at Shanghai Disney Resort.

In its fourth-quarter earnings last month, Walt Disney flagged higher attendance at its Shanghai and Hong Kong parks as one of the factors driving 31% growth in its Experiences division, which includes its theme parks.

Shanghai Disney Resort is a joint venture in which Chinese state-owned Shendi Group holds a 57% stake.

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Francis Ford Coppola Thinks 'Megalopolis' Outweighs Ordinary Film Ideas

Francis Ford Coppola attends the premiere of "Megalopolis" on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at AMC Lincoln Square in New York. (AP)
Francis Ford Coppola attends the premiere of "Megalopolis" on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at AMC Lincoln Square in New York. (AP)
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Francis Ford Coppola Thinks 'Megalopolis' Outweighs Ordinary Film Ideas

Francis Ford Coppola attends the premiere of "Megalopolis" on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at AMC Lincoln Square in New York. (AP)
Francis Ford Coppola attends the premiere of "Megalopolis" on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at AMC Lincoln Square in New York. (AP)

Renowned American director Francis Ford Coppola believes his harshly criticized science fiction film “Megalopolis” offers audiences a unique narrative vastly different from what they are accustomed to seeing.

"We're so used to seeing movies that are like other movies because they're financed that way,” Coppola told Reuters during a Zoom interview while he was at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film was also screened.

"It's [movies like other movies] always something that's already proven that it will make money. It's like a potato chip that you know is habit forming and 'Megalopolis' is new,” he added.

After debuting this year at the Cannes Film Festival, Coppola's $120 million self-funded project is going to be shared with broader audiences when it arrives to US movie theaters on Friday.

While the film will be distributed by Lionsgate, Coppola maintains ownership of the movie.

Adam Driver stars as Cesar Catilina, an architect-scientist who wants to better a fictional version of New York City called New Rome, pitting him against Mayor Franklyn Cicero, played by Giancarlo Esposito, who prizes authority and institutions over change.

Catilina falls in love with the mayor's daughter, Julia, played by "Game of Thrones"' Nathalie Emmanuel, as she helps him work towards his vision and re-ignites his power to stop time.

When asked if “Megalopolis” is an allegory for his film-making journey, the 85-year-old director said, “All of my films are.”

“When I was young and made 'The Godfather,'” I had to be like Michael [Michael Corleone] because I had no power and I had to be very Machiavellian. When I made 'Apocalypse Now,' I was in an absurd situation with helicopters and millions of dollars every week that I was paying for, so I had to become a megalomaniac like Kurtz [Colonel Kurtz]. You know, I have always become the characters in my movies just to survive,” he added.

While the press response to the movie has been poor with a low score of 51% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Driver believes “Megalopolis” is a film that needs more than one viewing to be truly absorbed.

"I think it does have legs and I think it is something that you want to return to and can return to and mine something else out of it," Driver said. "And it, you know, has a place in people's minds as being one of a kind, which I don't think a lot of films can say that, you know."