Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis was one of the most talked about titles at the 77th Cannes Film Festival that concluded last month. Ahead of the premiere, a report published by stated that Guardian which detailed the director’s alleged abuse as reported by crew members. Now, in a new interview, Coppola has spoken openly about these allegations, and categorically denied them. (Also read: Megalopolis first reactions: Francis Ford Coppola’s film’s ‘confused fever dream’ leaves audiences divided)
What did Coppola say?
in an interview the new York TimesWhen Coppola was asked about the allegations he spoke about his mother, Italia, and said, “She looked like Hedy Lamarr. I have the picture. But my mother told me that if you make advances toward a woman, it means you’re disrespecting her, and the girls I had crushes on, I certainly didn’t disrespect them. I’m not sentimental. I’m very shy.”
Earlier, Megalopolis executive producer Darren Demetre released a statement following the Guardian report, saying: “I was not aware of any complaints of harassment or abuse during the project.”
About Megalopolis
Megalopolis is known as the director’s passion project, which has been in the making for several years. The self-financed film reportedly has a budget of around $120 million. It features a star-studded cast including Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire and Jason Schwartzman. The film received divisive reviews upon release, even though the Cannes audience greeted it with a 7-minute standing ovation after the premiere.
The film is set in a futuristic city modeled after the Roman Empire, and follows an architect named Caesar, played by Driver, who seeks to rebuild New York City as a utopia after a disaster. Megalopolis is Coppola’s first film in a decade, following the 2011 horror film Twixt.
