Francis Ford Coppola Undergoes Scheduled Heart Surgery

Renowned American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, 86, was hospitalized this afternoon at Rome’s Tor Vergata Polyclinic to undergo scheduled heart surgery, according to the Italian daily La Repubblica.

The procedure, planned in advance, addresses health issues requiring specialized surgical care, although no official details about his condition have been released.

Coppola, celebrated for landmark films such as The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and The Conversation, is currently in the Italian capital for personal and professional commitments.

Sources close to the director say it is a routine operation, with constant medical monitoring, and that his condition remains stable.

Earlier this year, Coppola premiered his long-awaited film Megalopolis, a personal project that occupied him for more than a decade and was recently screened out of competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

With a career defined by aesthetic innovation, narrative risk-taking, and the creation of memorable characters, Coppola remains an influential figure in world cinema well into his eighth decade.

News of his hospitalization prompted an outpouring of support from the international film community. Actors, producers, and colleagues have sent messages of encouragement, underscoring Coppola’s role as one of the great innovators of 20th-century cinema and a constant source of inspiration for new generations of filmmakers.

Following the procedure and his recovery, he is expected to resume his schedule without major setbacks. Meanwhile, his fans and the film industry are closely following updates on his condition, wishing him a swift recovery.

One of Cinema’s Greats

Francis Ford Coppola is one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of contemporary cinema. Born in Detroit in 1939 and raised in New York, he is part of the New Hollywood generation that revolutionized film storytelling in the 1970s.

His masterpiece The Godfather (1972), based on Mario Puzo’s novel, transformed the gangster genre and became an instant classic, followed by The Godfather Part II (1974), the only sequel ever to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

He also directed Apocalypse Now (1979), a hallucinatory portrayal of the Vietnam War that redefined the war film genre. Over the course of his career, Coppola has won five Academy Awards, two Cannes Palme d’Or prizes, and numerous other international honors.

Not only a director, but also a distinguished producer, screenwriter, and champion of independent cinema, he remains a vital and innovative voice in the art of filmmaking.