Cannes - Debut amid Accusations - Coppola relishes the commotion surrounding his film.
At the Cannes International Film Festival, renowned director Francis Ford Coppola, aged 85 with five Oscars under his belt, presented his project "Megalopolis", which cost a whopping $120 million. Although the premiere was highly-anticipated, it was marred by allegations against him from former employees.
Coppola has reportedly caused chaos during filming in Atlanta and New York, mistreating female extras. During one particular scene at a futuristic nightclub, he allegedly kissed the actresses and asked them to sit on his lap to "put them in the mood for the shoot". Other crew members also talked about instances where Coppola showed up to the set without a clear plan, spending hours in his caravan while smoking marijuana.
One crew member said, "This sounds unbelievable, but there were times when we all just stood around and wondered if this guy had ever made a movie before." Coppola often appeared confused and unclear about what was to be filmed.
One of the producers, however, attempted to defend Coppola during the club scene: "During the two-day shoot for the celebratory club scene, Francis walked around the set in order to convey the scene's mood by giving friendly hugs and kisses on the cheek to the actors and background players."
At the glamorous red carpet celebration with German stars like Lena Gercke (36), Valentina Pahde (29), and Rebecca Mir (32), as well as Hollywood guests Talia Shire (78), Laurence Fishburne (62), and Adam Driver (40), the pre-festival commotion didn't cast a dark shadow.
They all praised the film, which Coppola had been working on for over 40 years. As the producer, he even sold parts of his winery to raise the massive production budget of over $100 million.
"Megalopolis" is his most personal project. A project that seemingly pushed Coppola to the edge and may have contributed to his fluctuating focus on the set.
Coppola began making "Megalopolis" shortly after his global success with "Apocalypse Now" (1979). Will the pricey production, featuring a futuristic New York with Roman decadence references, turn into a personal apocalypse for him?
Only the audience's reaction will reveal the answer. No German release date for this film has been set yet.
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Source: symclub.org
