- The Godfather filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola has relinquished his nine-year lease on Coral Caye, a 2.5-acre private island in Belize, after it was sold for approximately $1.8m.
- Coppola, who has won five Oscars, had developed the island, part of his Family Coppola Hideaways brand, building two residences and a pier with self-sufficient amenities, and reportedly treasured his time there.
- The lease transfer coincides with significant financial losses from his self-funded film Megalopolis, which cost around $120m but earned only $14.4m worldwide, leading him to sell assets like wineries and luxury watches.
- Megalopolis, a futuristic fable starring Adam Driver, received divided critical reviews upon its September 2024 release, though Coppola remains optimistic about its long-term success, comparing it to Apocalypse Now.
- A Guatemalan businessman has taken over the lease and intends to expand the property into a larger resort within the next 18 months.
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