In exciting news for film enthusiasts, French sales company Goodfellas has officially come on board as a distributor for the highly anticipated film "Megalopolis" directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola. The announcement comes just ahead of the movie's world premiere in Competition at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Speculation has been buzzing around the $120 million self-financed epic ever since Coppola presented it to buyers for the first time at L.A.'s Universal CityWalk Imax Theater in late March. The screening instantly generated a significant buzz, culminating in the film being selected for Cannes.

Coppola, along with his longstanding attorney and producer Barry Hirsch, has been actively seeking a strategic distribution plan that will ensure a wide reach for "Megalopolis" in the fall, with a particular emphasis on Imax theaters. While the U.S. distribution deal is still a work in progress, CAA Media Finance is actively involved in the project.

The recent deal with Goodfellas also includes the sale of French rights to Le Pacte, ensuring that "Megalopolis" adheres to Cannes regulations that require Competition films to be released theatrically in France before being available on any other platform. This effectively rules out immediate involvement from streaming services in France, as local windowing rules demand a 17-month gap between theatrical release and streaming availability, with the exception of Netflix, which has negotiated a 15-month deal.

However, it remains to be seen whether the film will opt for a streaming release elsewhere. Sources suggest that Goodfellas is already in advanced discussions to secure theatrical deals in several other key territories, hinting at a potential theatrical release in various parts of the world.

Known for their audacious sales campaigns, Paris-based Goodfellas (previously Wild Bunch International) brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. This collaboration with Coppola marks another significant partnership between the acclaimed director and a French company, reminiscent of their previous collaboration in 1977 when late French producer Paul Rassam invested in Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" in return for the French distribution rights. This mutual arrangement fostered a lifelong friendship between Coppola and Rassam and their respective families.

As the world eagerly awaits the premiere of "Megalopolis" at Cannes and subsequent distribution announcements, it is clear that Francis Ford Coppola's visionary storytelling and Goodfellas' marketing prowess will make this film a cinematic event to remember.