Director Francis Ford Coppola accused of trying to kiss extras on Megalopolis set
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US film director Francis Ford Coppola is accused of trying to kiss scantily clad extras while filming a nightclub sequence.
PHOTO: AFP
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As anticipation for the premiere of Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola’s first film in more than a decade, built to a fever pitch at the Cannes Film Festival, the American director faced accusations on May 14 that he tried to kiss extras while filming a nightclub sequence.
A report in British publication The Guardian detailing the film’s chaotic production said that according to anonymous sources, Coppola, 85, pulled women to sit on his lap, and tried to kiss scantily clad extras.
In response, a representative for the veteran film-maker referred to a statement from executive producer Darren Demetre, published by The Hollywood Reporter, in which he said: “I was never aware of any complaints of harassment or ill behaviour during the course of the project.”
Demetre also noted in the statement to the American entertainment portal that during two days of shooting a celebratory Studio 54-esque club scene, the director walked around the set to establish the spirit of the scene by giving kind hugs and kisses on the cheek to the cast and background players.
“It was his way to help inspire and establish the club atmosphere, which was so important to the film,” said Demetre.
The article focused largely on the movie’s unusual production conditions and, citing an unnamed crew member, said that Coppola stayed in his trailer for hours at a time, delaying filming.
Mariela Comitini, a first assistant director on Megalopolis, told The New York Times through a representative: “I can say working alongside Francis Ford Coppola was an honour. I watched as Francis created a vibrant, professional and positive environment on set, and I wish I could be part of the celebration in Cannes.”
She added: “As one of the industry’s most well-respected master film-makers, Francis was undaunted by the enormity of this undertaking, and he finished the film on time and on budget.”
The Guardian’s report was published in advance of the film’s premiere in the Cannes competition on May 16, where the stakes are high since the movie has yet to find US distribution.
On May 14, Coppola, best known as the director of The Godfather trilogy (1972 to 1990), posted a teaser for the dystopian Megalopolis that reflected ancient Roman influences and featured hallucinatory special effects.
Coppola has been toying with the idea of making Megalopolis since the 1980s and eventually sold a portion of his wine estate to put up US$120 million (S$161 million) of his own money to get it made.
The film stars Adam Driver as an architect who wants to rebuild a futuristic New York. The architect, who has the ability to stop time, gets into conflict with New York’s future mayor, played by Giancarlo Esposito, while also being romantically involved with the mayor’s daughter (Nathalie Emmanuel).
The film also features Aubrey Plaza as a journalist named Wow Platinum, as well as Jon Voight and Shia LaBeouf.
Coppola told American magazine Vanity Fair that he began writing the script in earnest in the past dozen years, and imagined “a Roman epic set in modern America”, taking specific interest in a Roman republic 63BC incident known as the Catiline Conspiracy, involving Cicero.
Of course, reports of tempestuous productions are nothing new for Coppola, who made Apocalypse Now (1979), a troubled production that was chronicled in the 1991 documentary Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, featuring footage captured by his late wife, Eleanor Coppola. NYTIMES
