MUBI is marking the 20th anniversary of Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” with a new 4K restoration and “Making Marie Antoinette,” a documentary built from footage Eleanor Coppola shot on set in 2005. Both open in theaters October 23, 2026, bringing back a film whose new wave and post-punk soundtrack remains a defining part of its identity.
Key Takeaways
- “Making Marie Antoinette” opens in theaters in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Ireland on October 23 and streams globally on MUBI from November 6.
- The 4K restoration opens in U.S. and Canadian theaters on October 23 and streams on MUBI in the U.S. the same day.
- Eleanor Coppola filmed 80 hours of footage at Versailles in 2005, which went unseen for nearly two decades.
- Sofia Coppola finished the documentary after her mother’s death in 2024, fulfilling Eleanor’s wish to turn the footage into a feature.
- The original two-disc soundtrack, released in 2006, reached No. 97 on the Billboard 200 and returned on vinyl in 2024.
Making Marie Antoinette Turns Eleanor Coppola’s Footage Into A Film
In 2005, Eleanor Coppola brought her camera to the set of her daughter’s third feature. Sofia Coppola, then 34, was directing “Marie Antoinette” at the Palace of Versailles, the first production ever granted access to film there. Eleanor shot 80 hours of footage, and for nearly two decades it stayed unseen.
“Making Marie Antoinette” changes that. The 86-minute documentary, directed by Eleanor Coppola, follows the production from inside, including costume designer Milena Canonero at work and what it was like for Sofia to direct a major production as a young woman. “My mother and I started going through her footage during lockdown,” Sofia Coppola said. “It was always her wish to make what she shot into a feature length documentary.”
Eleanor Coppola died in 2024, and Sofia completed the film, serving as a producer. The documentary premiered at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival on September 5, 2026. Its music is credited to Aaron Maine, known for his project Porches.
Marie Antoinette Soundtrack Paired 1780s Versailles With 1980s Post-Punk
For many music fans, “Marie Antoinette” is remembered as much for what it sounded like as for what it looked like. Coppola set an 18th-century French court to 1980s new wave and post-punk, a choice that stood out because the music arrived roughly two centuries after the period the film depicts.
The soundtrack opened with Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Hong Kong Garden” and included New Order’s “Ceremony,” Gang of Four’s “Natural’s Not in It,” The Cure’s “Plainsong,” and Adam Ant’s “Kings of the Wild Frontier.” Bow Wow Wow appeared three times, including “Aphrodisiac” and remixes of “I Want Candy” and “Fools Rush In” by My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields. The Strokes contributed “What Ever Happened,” while The Radio Dept., Aphex Twin, Air, and Dustin O’Halloran added a quieter, more atmospheric layer. Classical works by Vivaldi and Scarlatti rounded out the set.
The approach continued a pattern from Coppola’s earlier films, “The Virgin Suicides” and “Lost in Translation,” where guitar-driven rock and electronic music shaped the mood as much as the dialogue. Verve Forecast and Polydor released the two-disc soundtrack on October 10, 2006. It reached No. 97 on the Billboard 200, and a vinyl reissue followed in 2024.
A 4K Restoration For A Film That Divided Critics
“Marie Antoinette” starred Kirsten Dunst as the young queen and Jason Schwartzman as Louis XVI. On release, it split critics, with its modern soundtrack and pop sensibility drawing both praise and criticism for its approach to a historical subject.
Twenty years later, the film has built a lasting following, particularly for its visual style and music. The new 4K restoration gives audiences a chance to see Canonero’s costumes and the Versailles settings with fresh clarity, and the documentary adds context about how those images were made.
The anniversary extends beyond the screen. An exhibition at the Château de Versailles opened at the Petit Trianon on September 22 and runs through January 24, 2027, returning the film to the palace where it was shot.
Why The Double Bill Matters For Music And Film Fans
Pairing the restoration with the documentary gives viewers both the finished film and the process behind it. For music fans, it is a reminder of how a carefully chosen soundtrack can define a film’s identity. The “Marie Antoinette” soundtrack introduced post-punk and new wave to a younger audience in 2006, and its vinyl return two years ago suggests that interest has lasted.
For Coppola, the release also carries a personal weight. “Making Marie Antoinette” is both a record of a film’s production and a portrait of a mother watching her daughter work, completed by that daughter after her mother’s death.
FAQs
When Is Making Marie Antoinette Released?
“Making Marie Antoinette” opens in theaters in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Ireland on October 23, 2026. It streams globally on MUBI from November 6.
Who Directed Making Marie Antoinette?
The documentary is directed by Eleanor Coppola, who filmed the footage on set in 2005. Sofia Coppola completed it after her mother’s death in 2024 and serves as a producer.
What Songs Are On The Marie Antoinette Soundtrack?
The soundtrack includes Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Hong Kong Garden,” New Order’s “Ceremony,” The Strokes’ “What Ever Happened,” The Cure’s “Plainsong,” and Bow Wow Wow’s “I Want Candy” in a Kevin Shields remix, among others.
Where Can I Watch Marie Antoinette In 4K?
The 4K restoration opens in U.S. and Canadian theaters on October 23, 2026, and streams on MUBI in the U.S. the same day.
