Sofia Coppola Completes Mother Eleanor's Final Film Project

Sofia Coppola has completed her mother Eleanor Coppola’s final film project, “Making Marie Antoinette,” a documentary offering an intimate look at the production of Sofia’s 2006 film.

Eleanor Coppola, an accomplished documentarian known for “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” began shooting 80 hours of behind-the-scenes footage during the making of “Marie Antoinette” in 2005. The production had unprecedented access to Versailles and a $40 million budget. Initially, Eleanor was on set to capture marketing moments, but she later became frustrated that her footage was never assembled into a film.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Eleanor revisited the extensive footage, deciding it held the potential for a more significant project. Though she would not live to see it finished, she was correct. Sofia Coppola took up the task, completing the documentary after her mother's death in April 2024.

"She loved to show how things are made," Sofia Coppola told The Associated Press. "The truth of what’s really going on behind that was always interesting to her."

Sofia aimed for the documentary to feel like a "fly on the wall" experience, akin to the films of Frederick Wiseman. Unlike “Hearts of Darkness,” which documented the chaotic production of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” the “Marie Antoinette” set was notably calm, with Sofia’s film wrapping on time and within budget. Sofia described her project as a “nice counterpoint” to her father’s film, noting its feminine perspective.

The documentary includes candid moments, such as Eleanor Coppola’s first meeting with Sofia’s then-boyfriend Thomas Mars, and Marianne Faithfull praising Eleanor’s previous films. It also features moments of vulnerability, including a scene where Sofia expresses irritation at being filmed by her mother in her trailer.

"I’m like, oh, do we have to have that?" Sofia recalled. "It’s embarrassing that I’m being irritable and snotty with my mom. But it is real. So she would love that. I didn’t want it to be a puff piece. I wanted to show all the sides of that experience because that’s what she was looking for."

“Making Marie Antoinette” also illustrates Sofia Coppola's own evolution as a filmmaker, asserting herself on a large-scale production. "I hope that it’s helpful for people to see that there is evolution of people as, you don’t just walk on set and be this experienced person, like you have to find it," she said.

Journal entries from Eleanor Coppola from that period were discovered and are read in the film by Diane Lane, an actor who had a long-standing relationship with the Coppola family. Lane had appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s films and starred in Eleanor’s directorial debut, “Paris Can Wait.”

“Marie Antoinette” initially faced a challenging reception, including being booed at the Cannes Film Festival and receiving mixed reviews. However, over the past two decades, the film has undergone a significant cultural reappraisal. This year, marking its 20th anniversary, includes a 4K theatrical re-release, a behind-the-scenes book, and an exhibition at the Palace of Versailles.

For Sofia Coppola, completing her mother’s project has been a way to process her grief and honor Eleanor’s artistic vision. "It’s such a gift that she gave us this footage and that I got to kind of spend this year of grieving her in this way," Sofia said. "She had such a specific way of doing things and seeing the world."

“Making Marie Antoinette” is now playing in select theaters and will be available to stream on Mubi starting November 6.