Cinema legends: meet the Coppola family

The descendants of the musician and composer Carmine Coppola who made his film debut in 1959 when contributing to the soundtrack of “Battle Beyond the Sun”, add up eight Oscar statuettes and are spread across different areas of the film industry. They were one of the most powerful families in Hollywood .

Much of the family is involved in the industry, but the best known are the patriarch’s children: Francis Ford Coppola and Taila Shire who in turn are parents of Roman and Sofia Coppola and Jason and John Schwartzman respectively, and uncles of Nicolas Cage.

  • Francis Ford Coppola

At 85 years old, Francis Ford Coppola has directed more than 20 films, including productions that marked the history of cinema, such as the trilogy “The Godfather” (1972/1974/1990) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979). In addition to being a director, the filmmaker is also responsible for most of the scripts for his productions.

Your new film, “Megalópolis – A Fable” hits Brazilian cinemas this Thursday (31). The plot is set in the city of Nova Roma and portrays an epic conflict between Cesar Catilina, a visionary artist who fights for a utopian future, and his rival, the ambitious mayor Franklyn Cicero. At the center of this conflict is Julia Cicero, torn between loyalty to her father and love for Catilina, as she tries to decide what fate humanity truly deserves.


Adam Driver in a scene from "Megalopolis"

The filmmaker has already received 14 Oscar nominations, totaling three different categories: Best Film, Director and Screenplay, having won five statuettes.

  • Sofia Coppola

With eight films under her belt, an Oscar, a Golden Lion and a strong surname, the director is one of the main female names in the film industry today. Daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, she began her career as an actress, appearing in her father’s films, such as “The Motorcycle Riding Hood” (1983), “Peggy Sue” (1986) and “The Godfather III” (1986). 1990), a role that earned him a Golden Raspberry.

Her short career as an actress came to an end in 1999, with an appearance in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” and the release of her first feature film as a director, “The Virgin Suicides” . She is responsible for titles such as “Encounters and Mismatches” (2003), “Marie Antoinette” (2006) and “The Stranger We Love” (2017). Sofia’s most recent film, “Priscilla” hit theaters earlier this year.


  • Roman Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola’s other son also decided to go behind the camera. In addition to having several film credits as a director, producer and screenwriter, Roman also decided to go into the music industry, having directed music videos for stars such as arctic monkeys , Mariah Carey, Paul McCartney and more.

He has collaborated several times with his father, sister and filmmaker Wes Anderson, with whom he received a Best Screenplay nomination at the 2013 Oscars for “Moonrise Kingdom”.

  • Taila Shire

Unlike her brother and nephews, Taila Shire gained fame in front of the cameras. She began her career in the 1960s, but it was in the following decade that she joined two successful franchises: “The Godfather” and “Rocky” . She was nominated for an Oscar for both roles.


The veteran is in Francis Ford Coppola’s new film, “Megalópolis – A Fable”. Before that, his last appearance on the big screen was in “Working Man” (2019). She also participated in some episodes of “Gracie and Frankie” in 2018.

  • Jason Schwartzman

Just like mom, Jason Schwartzman decided to dedicate himself to acting. He has a long-standing partnership with director Wes Anderson, having starred in several of the filmmaker’s films, such as “Rushmore” (1998), which marked his debut on the big screen, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009) and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014). He’s also in his cousin’s film “Marie Antoinette” (2006). Your next job, “Queer“ debuts later this year.


  • John Schwartzman

Unlike his mother and brother, John chose to remain behind the camera, dedicating himself to directing photography. He was nominated for an Oscar for his work on “Hero’s Soul” (2003). Other productions that have his name in the credits are: “Before Leaving” , “Jurassic World” (2015), “A Small Favor” (2018) and more.

  • Nicolas Cage

Son of August Coppola, brother of Francis and Taila, Nicolas Cage is one of the best-known names in the family – despite not using his surname. He gained fame as an actor, but has also signed films as a director, in addition to having his own production company. He has over 100 credits in more than 40 years of career.

Among Cage’s main titles are: “The Other Face” (1997), “City of Angels” (1998), “The Legend of the Lost Treasure” (2004), “The Lord of Arms” (2005)“Ghost Rider” (2007), “Presságio” (2009). The star gained prominence in the industry between 1990 and 2000, but remains active, with more than seven projects scheduled for the coming years. In 2024 alone, he released three films: “After the Apocalypse” , “The Surfer” and “Longlegs – Mortal Bond” .


The actor has already received two Oscar nominations, having taken home the statuette for “Farewell in Las Vegas” (1995).

In Brazil, Coppola compares current cinema with fast food: “It’s not art”

This content was originally published in Cinema legends: meet the Coppola family on the CNN Brasil website.

Source: CNN Brasil

You may also like