Renowned Filmmaker Accused Of Disturbing Behavior On Set Of Sci-Fi Epic

The videos of Francis Ford Coppola obtained by Variety seem to line up with the report the Guardian previously published that the director “tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras” and told them “he was ‘trying to get them in the mood.” One source said that there were around 150 to 200 people on set for the night club scene and that Coppola would keep inserting himself into the scene to “hug and kiss several women,” often accidentally ruining the shot by being in it.

The source said, “I’ve worked with really important directors and that behavior is uncommon,” adding, “I’ve never seen anyone on set, and this extends to a camera operator, so much as touch an actor.” The source also said that during the shooting, Francis Ford Coppola announced on a microphone,  “Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s solely for my pleasure.”

A spokesperson for Francis Ford Coppola declined to comment on the videos or the claims, but his team did provide two separate on-record statements from people involved in the production.

One was Megalopolis director Darren Demetre, who said, “There were two days when we shot a celebratory Studio 54-esque club scene where Francis 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. I was never aware of any complaints of harassment or ill behavior during the course of the project.”

Mariela Comitini, the first assistant director on Megalopolis, said that working with Francis Ford Coppola was an “honor,” and that she “watched as Francis created a vibrant, professional, and positive environment on set.” The sources who spoke to Variety seem to be in direct opposition to Coppola creating a professional environment, as they noted that crew members would look at each other uncomfortably when Coppola would interact with the extras, but there were no public objections by anyone.

One source attributed it to Coppola’s self-funding of the project, saying, “Because Coppola funded it there was no HR department to keep things in check,” adding, “Who were they supposed to talk to?

Samantha McDonald and Ashley Anderson were both intimacy coordinators who were hired for the Francis Ford Coppola film, but McDonald told Variety that both of them weren’t on set for the nightclub scene, saying, “I can’t really speak to the reason why they chose to bring us in when they did and not when they didn’t.”

Yarit Dor, a veteran intimacy coordinator who didn’t work on the film, spoke to Variety, saying, “In the intimacy coordination community, it is recommended that scenes [with nudity involving extras] have more than one intimacy coordinator on set.”

Another production source said that senior crew members reminded other crew members that their NDAs said that they shouldn’t be sharing videos after the videos initially began circulating several days after the nightclub scene was shot. Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is just a couple of months away from its September 27 release date and has been getting very mixed early reviews. Critics have called it everything from messy to epic, and it seems like the messy description might be apt for the behind-the-scenes making of the film, too.

Megalopolis stars Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D. B. Sweeney, and Dustin Hoffman. The film follows a genius architect (Adam Driver) who clashes with a corrupt mayor (Giancarlo Esposito) over how to rebuild New York after a disaster. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated as this story continues to develop.

Source: Variety