Francis Ford Coppola has been spotted “attempting to kiss young female extras” in shocking new images of the Oscar-winning director on the set of his upcoming sci-fi epic, Megalopolis.
Earlier this year in May, the 85-year-old filmmaker was initially accused of attempting to “kiss topless and scantily clad female extras” during the production of the film, which is set to hit theaters later this year on September 27.
And on Friday, Variety He obtained two videos that had been taken by a crew member on the set of Megalopolis last year in February while they were filming a nightclub scene.
In the clips, Coppola can be seen strolling around a dance floor packed with female extras as music blared from speakers, and apparently getting close to some while attempting to kiss and hug them.
The scene, which also featured one of the cast’s main stars, Nathalie Emmanuel, was filmed at the Tabernacle concert hall in Atlanta, Georgia.
Francis Ford Coppola, 85, was seen “trying to kiss young female extras” in shocking new images of the Oscar-winning director on the set of his sci-fi epic, Megalopolis; seen in May in Cannes
According to a call sheet also obtained by Variety, background actors portraying female guests at the party “were cleared for topless nudity,” while others were “cleared to be scantily clad.”
There were between 150 and 200 people on set for the nightclub scene, including Coppola and other crew members.
Sources told the outlet that Coppola had behaved with “impunity” on the set, in addition to acting in an “unprofessional” manner.
A source further claimed that Francis was attempting to get close to female extras during the filming of a scene and accidentally walked into the shot.
“I’ve worked with some very high-profile directors and that kind of behavior is rare. The most I’ve seen a director say is something like, ‘Lots of energy, guys,'” the source told Variety.
“I’ve never seen anyone on set, and this extends to a camera operator, or even touched an actor.”
The source also claimed that at one point during the filming of the scene, Coppola announced into a microphone: “I’m sorry if I walk up to you and kiss you. Just know that it’s solely for my pleasure.”
Because there was no outside studio or streaming service involved in the production, there was no human resources department during filming.
And on Friday, Variety obtained two videos that had been taken by a crew member on the set of Megalopolis last year while they were filming a nightclub scene.
And on Friday, Variety obtained two videos that were taken by a crew member on the set of Megalopolis last year in February while they were filming a scene in a nightclub; seen in May in Cannes.
Another source said: “Because Coppola financed it, there was no HR department to keep track of things. Who were they supposed to talk to? Complain to Coppola and report Coppola to himself?”
However, intimacy coordinators Samantha McDonald and Ashley Anderson did work on the film, but both were not on set during the nightclub scene.
McDonald explained to Variety: “I can’t really explain why they decided to bring us in when they did and not when they didn’t.”
A few months earlier, in May, a report published by The Guardian detailed Francis’s conduct during the making of the film, citing several insiders who “felt Coppola might be ‘old school’ in his behavior with women.”
Eyewitnesses told the outlet that during production of a scene at a club, the famed filmmaker “entered the set and attempted to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras.”
The Detroit-born director, who made The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now (which also had a notoriously chaotic production), premiered the film at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Darren Demetre, the film’s producer, explained to the outlet that Coppola had been trying to set a tone for the room with her actions during the production of the club scene.
“There were two days where we shot a Studio 54-style celebration scene, where Francis walked around the set to set the spirit of the scene by giving kind hugs and kisses on the cheek to the cast and background actors,” Demetre said.
Demetre said the filmmaker’s hugs and kisses to the performers “were his way of helping to inspire and establish the atmosphere of the club, which was so important to the film.”
Demetre, who said he was “one of the first assistant directors and executive producers” on Megalopolis, added that he was “never aware of any complaints of harassment or misconduct during the course of the project.”
Demetre said Coppola succeeded in executing every aspect of the film, which stars Adam Driver at the helm of an ensemble cast.
“I’ve worked with some very top directors and that behavior is rare – the most I’ve seen a director do is say something like ‘high energy, guys,'” the source told Variety; seen in 2022 in Los Angeles
Demetre said Coppola succeeded in executing every aspect of the film, which stars Adam Driver at the helm of an ensemble cast.
“Francis successfully produced and directed a massive independent film, making all the tough decisions to ensure it was delivered on time and on budget, while remaining true to his creative vision,” he said.
The Guardian report stated that several crew members were dissatisfied with their experiences on the set of the film, which saw significant turnover in its visual effects and art teams.
“It sounds crazy to say it,” one crew member said, “but there were times when we all stood there thinking, ‘Has this guy ever made a movie before? ‘”
Another crew member said of the mood on set: “We were all aware that we were taking part in what could be a really sad end to his career.”
One crew member said the film’s creative process was frustrating and inefficient amid Coppola’s disorganization and insistence on overseeing every aspect of production.
“He would often show up in the mornings before these big sequences and because there was no set plan and he wouldn’t allow his collaborators to make one, he would often sit in his trailer for hours on end, not talk to anyone and often smoke marijuana,” the crew member said.
The crew member said that “hours and hours would go by without anything being filmed. And the crew and cast would just stand there waiting.”
“And then he’d come up with something that didn’t make sense, that didn’t follow anything that was said or written on the paper, and we’d all follow along, trying to make the best of it.”
The confused crew walked away each day “shaking their heads and wondering what we had done for the last 12 hours,” the crew member said.
While the film was being made, Coppola was also dealing with the illness of his wife Eleanor Coppola, who died at the age of 87 in April of this year.
A few months earlier, in May, a report published by The Guardian detailed Francis’ conduct amid the making of the film, citing several insiders who “felt Coppola might be ‘old school’ in his behavior with women”; seen in 2019 in Hollywood
Another crew member said of the mood on set: ‘We were all aware that we were taking part in what could be a really sad end to his career’; seen in 2022 in Hollywood
Eleanor had been present on the set of the film “until her illness prevented her from being there,” a spokesperson told The Guardian.
In addition to Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel, other stars who have been cast in the upcoming project include Dustin Hoffman, Giancarlo Esposito, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, Chloe Fineman and also DB Sweeney.
The premise is this: “An architect wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia after a devastating disaster,” according to one official. IMDB Synopsis.
Coppola not only directed Megalopolis, but also wrote the screenplay and self-financed the film with a massive $120 million budget.
