Francis Ford Coppola Responds to Allegations of Misconduct on Megalopolis Set: 'I'm Not Touchy' | Hollywood

Lina PortmanJune 7, 2024

0 1 minute read

Megalopolis, by Francis Ford Coppola, was one of the hottest titles at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, which concluded last month. Ahead of the premiere, a report published by The Guardian detailed the director's alleged misconduct on set, as pointed out by crew members. Today, in a new interview, Coppola spoke out about these allegations and categorically denied them. (Also read: First reactions from megacities: the “delirious fever dream” of a Francis Ford Coppola film divides the public)

Director Francis Ford Coppola poses during a photocall for the film Megalopolis in competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 17, 2024. (REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)

What Coppola said

In the interview with The New York Times, when Coppola was asked about the allegations, he talked about his mother, Italia and said, “She looked like Hedy Lamarr. I have the photo. But my mother told me that if you make an advance on a woman, you're disrespecting her, and the girls I had a crush on, I certainly didn't disrespect them. I'm not touchy. I am too shy.”

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Darren Demeter, executive producer of Megalopolis, released a statement after the Guardian report and said: “I am never aware of any complaints of harassment or bad behavior during the project.”

About Megalopolis

Megalopolis is presented as the passion project of the director, who has been in training for many years. The self-financed film reportedly has a budget of around $120 million. It features an all-star cast including Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire and Jason Schwartzman. The film received controversial reviews upon its release, although Cannes audiences gave it a 7-minute standing ovation after the premiere.

The film takes place in a futuristic city, much like the Roman Empire, and follows an architect named Caesar, essayed by Driver, who wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia, after a catastrophe. Megalopolis is Coppola's first film in a decade, following the 2011 horror film Twixt.