Culture news Drugs, inappropriate behavior, Francis Ford Coppola under fire during the filming of Megalopolis
This is undoubtedly the most important film of his career and his behavior has not been the easiest… Francis Ford Coppola has been under fire from critics since filming “Megalopolis”!
As indicated by his name, Megalopolisit's a big feature film, both for what it tells (an architect who wants to build the perfect city on the ruins of New York) and for Coppola – its director! It's been 40 years since the famous filmmaker, behind masterpieces like The Godfather Or Apocalypse Nowlooking to make this film who also asked him to invest $120 million of his personal fortune. In short, a dream project for the now 85-year-old man… A dream that sometimes turned into a nightmare on set! This is what we now report The Guardian.
“A waste of time and effort”
This May 14, 2024, the British media echoes several testimonies from the team of Megalopolis who point the finger at the behavior of Francis Ford Coppola! On filming, which ended in March 2023, the filmmaker would have wasted “a lot of time and effort” – inexorably seeking “the magic of the moment”. According to The Guardian, for example, man has never managed to choose a precise design of Megalopolis much to the dismay of his collaborators, and was often unable to establish a plan to achieve his major sequences. “He (Coppola) often sat for hours, stayed in his trailer, didn't talk to anyone, often smoked marijuana,” said a member of the team. “Hours and hours passed without anything being filmed. Everyone was waiting.”
(In Megalopolis, Adam Driver plays the leading role)
“An accident that takes place day after day”
Even worse : Coppola allegedly behaved inappropriately towards certain actresses, inviting them to sit on his lap. The filmmaker even tried to kiss extras during a scene in a nightclub to – I quote – “put them in the mood”. On this subject, Darren Demeter, co-executive producer of Megalopolis, refers to “gentle hugs and kisses” to “help inspire and establish the atmosphere of the club”. The man would not have been aware of complaints of harassment or even “bad behavior” against Coppola during the project.
In any case, in December 2022, most visual effects teams | artists were fired or resigned, reports The Guardian. “We were all aware that we were participating in what could be a very sad end to our careers,” says one member of the team. Yet another speaks of “an accident occurring day after day”. What will be the fruit of all this? We will know very soon: Megalopolis will have its world premiere on May 17 during the Cannes Film Festival.