The Road to Paradise: Francis Ford Coppola

New York Times bestselling author Sam Wasson has created a captivating portrait of visionary director Francis Ford Coppola.

Even before the worldwide success of The Godfather, the thirty-year-old Coppola founded American Zoetrope in San Francisco, a studio that would revolutionize the way we think about film and become a utopian commune for artists. For decades, he stubbornly pursued that dream, overcoming numerous creative and financial challenges. And even today, more than half a century later, his vision lives on—not least in the film project that culminated in Megalopolis.

This book is not only the story of Zoetrope, but also a deep, human portrait of the Coppola family, their creative dedication, and their personal trials. The book highlights the divergence of paths between Coppola and his associate George Lucas, the conflict between art and commerce, and also reveals new details about the legendary filming of “Apocalypse Now,” when the director teetered on the edge of the possible.

“The Road to Paradise” is a large-scale, captivating story about the dream, passion and courage to change the world of cinema.