104 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2024 
J
N

COPPOLA’S CITY, RABBI MEETS 
A PODCASTER, ONE VERY BAD 
DAY, RUDOLPH AS HARRIS?
Megalopolis, which opens in 
theaters on Sept. 27, was written 
and directed by Francis Ford 
Coppola (he’s 85!). This film is 
a modern take on much that 
happened in ancient Rome. 
Coppola had the idea for this 
film all the way back in 1977. 
However, for a variety of reasons, 
he had to continually postpone 
the day when he would start 
filming. In 2019, he decided to 
largely finance the film himself, 
and he sold off a large piece of 
the ownership of his Napa Valley 
wine vineyard. He used those 
funds, and some other funds, 
and had the $120 million he 
needed to make the film. 
Megalopolis is set within the 
United States “some time” in 
the future. A major earthquake 
devastates a major American 
city called “New Rome.” The 
film’s hero is Cesar Catilina 
(Adam Driver), an idealistic 
architect. He is granted a license 
by the federal government to 
demolish and rebuild the city as 
a sustainable utopia using a new 
material, “megalon.” This material 
can give Catilina the power to 
control space and time.
His major foe is Franklyn 
Cicero, the corrupt and ultra-
conservative mayor of New 
Rome (played by Giancarlo 
Esposito). Talia Shire, who is 
Coppola’s real-life sister, plays 
Cesar’s mother. Shire’s real-life 
son, Jason Schwartzman, 44, 
plays Jason, an associate of 
Franklyn Cicero (Schwartzman’s 
late father was Jewish). 
Dustin Hoffman, 87, has a 
small role as Mayor Cicero’s 
“fix-it” guy. Also, in “smallish” 
supporting roles, are two 
actors with Jewish dads: Chloe 

Fineman, 36 (SNL cast member) 
and James Remar, 70.
Megalopolis played the 
Cannes Film Festival last May. 
A handful of respected critics 
called the film “great,” and a bit 
larger group of respected critics 
said it was a “disaster.” Most 
reviews were “so/so.” My gut 
says that this film will not be a 
box-office hit. 
Nobody Wants This is a 
10-episode comedy series which 
premieres on Netflix Sept. 26. 
All 10 episodes will stream on 
that day. It’s centered on the 
unlikely relationship between 
Joanne (Kristen Bell), an 
outspoken agnostic podcaster, 
and Noah (Adam Brody, 44), an 
unconventional rabbi.
The New York Times (Sept. 6) 
profiled Adam Brody, focusing 
on how this good-looking fellow 
played the cool, but “hot” Jewish 
teenager Seth Cohen in The 
O.C. (a hit comedy-drama that 
ran from 2003-07) and now he’s 
playing a cool, but “hot” rabbi. 
Check it out if you want more 
about “how Jewish” Brody is and 
how he feels about taking this 
rabbi role. 
Here’s the Nobody Wants 

cast actors who play Jews: Paul 
Ben-Victor, 58 (as Ilan, Noah’s 
father), Tovah Feldshuh, 75 (as 
Bina, Noah’s mother); Timothy 
Simons (as Sasha, Noah’s 
brother); Jackie Tohn, 44 (as 
Sasha’s wife), and Emily Arlock, 
34 (as Rebecca, Noah’s “perfect” 
Jewish girlfriend.)
The rest of the characters are 
associated with Joanne: Morgan, 
Joanne’s sister (Justine Lupe), 
Henry, Joanna and Morgan’s 
father (Michael Hitchcock); and 
Ashley, Joanne’s best friend 
(Shirley Cola). 
Erin Foster, 42, the show’s 
creator and “top” executive, said 
this: “This show is based on the 
only good decision I ever made: 
falling for a nice Jewish boy.”
Foster converted to Judaism 
before her 2019 marriage to 
Simon Tikhman, a businessman. 
The couple had a daughter this 
year. She told the Netflix publicity 
people: “I didn’t grow up Jewish; 
I converted as an adult. I wanted 
to tell a Jewish story, but from 
an outsider’s perspective from 
someone who chose Judaism.” 
Notice to Quit is an “indie” 
drama that opens in some 
theaters on Sept. 27. The film 

focuses on a very difficult day in 
the life of Andy Singer (Michael 
Zegen), a failed realtor who is 
almost broke. He has just one 
more day to find an apartment 
because he going to be evicted 
from his Manhattan apartment 
the next day. Things get worse 
when his 10-year-old daughter, 
Anna, comes unannounced to his 
apartment. She’s there to tell him 
that Andy’s ex-wife (and Anna’s 
mother) is going to move (with 
Anna) to Florida. (Robert Klein, 
82, has a small part as Andy’s 
father.) 
Zegen, 45, is best known 
for playing Joel Maisel in the 
hit Amazon Prime series The 
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Joel 
Maisel was married to Mrs. 
(Midge) Maisel during the series’ 
first three seasons. The Maisels 
divorced but remained close in 
the show’s last two seasons. 
The 50th anniversary season 
(!) of Saturday Night Live begins 
on Sept. 28. Tune in to see 
if Maya Rudolph appears as 
Vice President Kamala Harris 
in comedic skit(s). Rudolph has 
committed to playing Harris this 
season. But her first appearance 
has not been announced. 

CELEBRITY NEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

ARTS&LIFE

HARALD KRICHEL

Jason Schwartzman
Chloe Fineman

CHLOE FINEMAN

Michael Zegen

TABERCIL

