Summary

• Director Francis Ford Coppola has faced harassment allegations for his behavior on the set of Megalopolis, causing production problems.
• Allegations include being late to filming, demanding unscripted sequences, and harassing female extras.
• Coppola fired the visual effects team during production, creating further issues in how the movie was going to be made.

New allegations have surfaced surrounding Francis Ford Coppola on the set of his new movie Megalopolis, where he is alleged to have harassed extras and created problems during production. The newest movie from The Godfather director stars Adam Driver as Caesar Catillina, an architect trying to rebuild New York into a sci-fi city following its destruction. The ensemble drama is scheduled to premiere at Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2024, with a wider release scheduled for later in the year.

However, a new report from The Guardian prior to Megalopolis' upcoming release alleges Coppola caused problems throughout the movie's production, including harassing multiple extras. Anonymous crew members report he would be hours late to filming, then demanding sequences be made that were never part of the script. He also allegedly tried to kiss multiple female extras during production, claiming he wanted to "get them in the mood" for their nightclub scenes. He went on to fire his visual effects team four months into filming, with some outright quitting beforehand.

What Coppola Allegations Mean For Megalopolis

Coppola has had the idea for his sci-fi drama since 1983, having spent $120 million of his own money in order to make the movie. However, the allegations of his on-set behavior are another worrying sign that this won’t be a triumphant finale for his decorated filmmaking career. In April, it was reported that Megalopolis was facing release problems, as studios haven’t been willing to pay $100 million for its marketing and distribution. While the movie will now premiere at Cannes, it’s indicative of how little faith studios have in the movie’s commercial success.

Despite how many impressive movies are under his belt, the allegations against Coppola highlight a uniquely troubled production that didn’t always have a clear, driving vision from the director. His behavior appeared to have exacerbated the development problems of a movie that already had plenty of complex moving parts to it. His harassment of extras and firing of the visual effects team also doesn't bode well for how the movie portrays particular ideas, which may not be straightforward due to some scenes being thought of during production.

While it's unclear what this means for the movie's premiere going forward, it's major information that could lead to less eyes being on the expensive film moving forward. With reactions from those who've already seen the movie being mixed, it seems Megalopolis will be a memorable closure to Coppola's career for all the wrong reasons. Even so, the upcoming movie is still sure to draw plenty of curiosity, which means it could still perform well in spite of these new allegations.

Megalopolis is set for a wider release later this year.

Source: The Guardian