Francis Ford Coppola doubles down on his decision to cast a controversial group of actors in his new film Megalopolis.
The 85-year-old renowned film director admitted that he intentionally included “cancelled” actors in his film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
The filmmaker, who was recently embroiled in controversy after being accused of unprofessional behavior and kissing women on set, explained that he wanted the diverse and divisive group to “all work together on a movie.”
“That was interesting, I thought,” he said. Rolling Stone in an interview published on Sunday.
The controversial cast of his film includes Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.
Francis Ford Coppola is doubling down on his decision to cast a controversial group of actors in his new film Megalopolis. The renowned film director, 85, admitted that he deliberately included “cancelled” actors in his film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
“What I didn’t want to happen is for us to be seen as some kind of progressive Hollywood production that just lectures viewers,” he said.
“The cast includes people who were canceled at one point or another,” he told the outlet.
“There were some people who were ultra-conservative and some who were extremely progressive politically,” he said. “But we were all working together on a film. I found it interesting.”
He also explained that he wanted to “start a conversation” with the film and redirect people to “really look at why this country is so divided right now.”
She went on to share what she respected about each of the “cancelled” stars, who at one time or another have been involved in news controversies.
LaBeouf, 38, was publicly accused in 2020 of assaulting ex-girlfriends.
FKA Twigs has filed a lawsuit, alleging that her ex subjected her to “relentless” sexual assault, physical battery and emotional abuse.
Voight, 85, is an outspoken conservative and a staunch supporter of Donald Trump.
The film’s controversial cast includes Shia LaBeouf and Jon Voight. Coppola explained that she wanted this diverse and divisive group to “all work together on a movie.”
Dustin Hoffman, 87, is also part of the controversial cast. He allegedly assaulted his former co-stars; specifically, seven women accused him of sexual harassment in 2017; seen in July
Coppola went on to share what she respected about each of the “cancelled” stars, who have at one point or another been embroiled in newsworthy controversies. LaBeouf, 38, was publicly accused in 2020 of assaulting ex-girlfriends; seen in May
Voight, 85, is an avowed conservative and a staunch supporter of Donald Trump; seen in February 2022
Hoffman, 87, allegedly assaulted his former co-stars, with seven women accusing him of sexual harassment in 2017.
In LaBoeuf’s case, Coppola said she respected his extreme method acting.
‘I did a weird thing with Megalopolis because I only got to rehearse with a third of the cast, maybe a little bit more. I had Aubrey Plaza. I had Nathalie Emmanuel. I didn’t have Adam[Driver]. But I had given them all the understudies like it was a play, and I said, “What I’m going to do is rehearse, and as for the actors I don’t have, I’m going to use the understudies.” It was a very creative and interesting week of rehearsals. You could see the actors finding their characters. Shia really got into it.”
“I had no experience working with him before this, but he deliberately creates tension between himself and the director to an extreme degree,” she said.
“It reminds me of Deniss Hopper, who would do something similar and then you’d say, ‘Do whatever you want,’ and then they’d go off and do something brilliant.”
On Voight, Coppola admitted that although they have different political beliefs, they worked well together.
“This brings me to politics, and my publicist will yell at me if I start talking about politics. This movie won’t cure what ails us, but I truly believe that what will save us is the fact that we have to talk about the future.”
“We want to be able to ask all the questions we need to ask to really look at why this country is so divided right now, and that will provide an energy that will defeat those people who want to destroy our republic,” he said.
Coppola explained that she wanted to “start a conversation” with the film and redirect people to “really look at why this country is so divided right now”; seen in March 2022
Megalopolis, starring Adam Driver among many others, will be released in theaters on September 27
“I made this film to contribute to that,” he continued. “And all I want is for this film to start a conversation.”
Coppola said: “You can’t have a utopia without a conversation.”
Also starring Giancarlo Esposito, Grace VanderWaal, and Chloe Fineman, among many others in addition to the aforementioned actors, Megalopolis is a Roman epic set in an imagined modern America.
The synopsis for the upcoming sci-fi drama reads: ‘The city of New Rome is the ultimate conflict between Caesar Catilina (Driver), a brilliant artist in favor of a utopian future, and greedy mayor Franklyn Cicero (Esposito). Between them is Julia Cicero (Emmanuel), her loyalties torn between her father and her beloved.’
Megalopolis will be released in theaters on September 27.