Eleanor Coppola’s Posthumous Documentary About Daughter Sofia’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ Is Finished (and Bought)

The Coppola matriarch shot about 80 hours of footage during production on her daughter's third film, which has now been transformed into "Making Marie Antoinette."

Twenty years ago, filmmaker Sofia Coppola had one heck of a mentor and champion on hand while making her third film: her mother, fellow filmmaker Eleanor Coppola. During the production of the Kirsten Dunst-starring “Marie Antoinette,” the elder Coppola (who knows a thing or two about making documentaries about filmmaking itself) shot a reported 80 or so hours of footage, with the hope of turning it into a film that focused on her daughter’s journey of making the film.

When the Coppola matriarch passed away in 2024, it was unclear what would happen to the footage. Today, however, some excellent news: the film, titled “Making Marie Antoinette,” is not only complete, but already has a home with MUBI, who will distribute it worldwide.

The footage was edited by Aaron Matthews with, per a press release, “input from Eleanor’s good friends Davia Nelson and Liz Bird.” The press release also notes that it was Eleanor Coppola’s wishes for the film to be completed, and it now arrives in time for the 20th anniversary of Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning film.

“My mother and I started going through her footage during lockdown,” Sofia Coppola said in a statement. “It was always her wish to make what she shot into a feature-length documentary. She was on set as a filmmaker and also my mother, so I found it so moving to go back through the material and to see our shoot through her eyes.”

In the doc, Eleanor Coppola is voiced by Diane Lane (who starred in the late filmmaker’s narrative debut, “Paris Can Wait”), who “reads passages from Eleanor’s journals in which she discusses her experiences on set and reflects on her relationship with her daughter.”

The release also notes that “‘Making Marie Antoinette’ shows the craftsmanship that went into the film, legendary costume designer Milena Canonero at work, and what it was like to be a young female director at that time. The result is a fascinating look at the process of making this landmark film, and an unexpectedly intimate family portrait.”

MUBI will announce release plans at a later date.

In 2005, Sofia Coppola made her third feature film, Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman, at the Palace of Versailles, the first production ever to have been granted permission. Her mother, acclaimed documentarian Eleanor Coppola, accompanied her on set and shot about eighty hours of footage, focusing on her daughter’s journey of making the film.  This year, to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of Marie Antoinette, and to fulfill her mother’s wishes, Coppola edited the unseen footage. Making Marie Antoinette shows the craftsmanship that went into the film, legendary costume designer Milena Canonero at work and what it was like to be a young female director at that time. The result is a fascinating look at the process of making this landmark film, and an unexpectedly intimate family portrait. 

In the film, Eleanor Coppola is voiced by Academy Award® nominee Diane Lane, who reads passages from Eleanor’s journals in which she discusses her experiences on set and reflects on her relationship with her daughter.

Efe Cakarel, Mubi’s Founder and CEO said: “Sofia is one of the defining filmmakers of her generation, with a voice and sensibility entirely her own. Marie Antoinette was bold, beautiful, irreverent and hugely influential, and to revisit it now through Eleanor Coppola’s eyes, as both a filmmaker and a mother, is incredibly moving. We are proud to bring this intimate and remarkable portrait to audiences around the world.”

Sofia Coppola said: “My mother and I started going through her footage during lockdown. It was always her wish to make what she shot into a feature length documentary. She was on set as a filmmaker and also my mother, so I found it so moving to go back through the material and to see our shoot through her eyes. I’m so grateful to Lorenzo and OUR FILMS for helping me put this together, and couldn’t be happier that Efe and MUBI are going to be releasing it.”

OUR FILMS’ Lorenzo Mieli said: “Eleanor Coppola is a masterful documentarian, as evidenced by Hearts of Darkness. I feel honored to have been able to help bring this documentary to life, and the mother daughter relationship gives particular depth to the film. Like OUR FILMS, MUBI is all about filmmakers, so this feels like a very good place for a very special film.”

Mubi will announce release plans in the near future.

Coppola is represented by Bart Walker at Gersh.