Making Marie Antoinette: Eleanor Coppola’s Posthumous Documentary Arrives

“Making Marie Antoinette,” a documentary assembled from Eleanor Coppola’s behind-the-scenes footage of the 2006 feature, opened in UK and Irish cinemas on October 23, 2026 and will stream exclusively on MUBI beginning November 6, 2026. Directed by Eleanor Coppola and completed by her daughter Sofia Coppola after Eleanor’s death in April 2024, the film blends the original 80 hours of raw material with voice-over readings of Eleanor’s journal entries performed by Diane Lane.

Making Marie Antoinette — Eleanor Coppola [Review]

Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” debuted in 2006 with a $40 million budget and a 57-day shoot at Versailles. The film was initially booed at Cannes and received mixed, largely male-dominated reviews, though Roger Ebert awarded it four stars. Over two decades the picture has been reassessed as a cult favorite, inspiring fashion exhibitions at the V&A in London and at Versailles, and prompting a 4K theatrical re-release for its 20th anniversary. The renewed interest provided the impetus for Eleanor’s long-shelved footage to be revisited during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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• 80 hours of behind-the-scenes footage captured by Eleanor Coppola in 2005.

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• 57 days of principal photography on location at Versailles.

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• Production budget: $40 million.

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• Worldwide box-office gross: approximately $60 million.

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• The documentary runs 1 hour 26 minutes and incorporates interviews with costume designer Milena Canonero and cast members Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman.

Sofia Coppola ‘touched’ to see her work through her mother’s eyes in documentary

• The Versailles exhibition showcasing the film’s costumes runs through January 24, 2027.

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Sofia Coppola explained that completing the documentary was a way to honor her mother’s wish to see the material edited and shared. She emphasized the importance of presenting “the honest, sometimes unflattering moments” of the production, noting that the inclusion of her own irritation toward her mother was intentional to reflect Eleanor’s documentary ethos. Diane Lane’s narration of Eleanor’s journal entries provides a reflective layer, linking the mother’s perspective to the visual record. Sofia also highlighted the educational value for emerging filmmakers, describing the film as a “three-way love letter” to mother, daughter, and the craft of filmmaking.

Express Tribune

• “She loved to show how things are made,” — Expand Sofia

Hartford Courant

• “I always loved Frederick Wiseman’s films that don’t have any plot. They’re just like fly on the wall,” — Expand Sofia

Hartford Courant

• “It was always kind of just finishing what she started out,” — Expand Sofia

Hartford Courant

• “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,” — Expand Sofia

Hartford Courant

• “I was snapping at my mom. But it’s real,” — Expand Sofia

Express Tribune

• “That was challenging, but I’m really happy to have had it done and to be able to share it.” — Expand Sofia

Sofia Coppola ‘touched’ to see her work through her mother’s eyes in documentary

After its theatrical run, “Making Marie Antoinette” will become available for streaming on MUBI on November 6, 2026, allowing a broader audience to experience the behind-the-scenes portrait of a landmark period drama and the collaborative legacy of the Coppola family.

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