Abuse accusations cast shadow on Coppola movie.
Not long before Francis Ford Coppola's sci-fi movie "Megalopolis" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, rumors of his inappropriate actions towards female extras surfaced in the media.
The production of "Megalopolis," Coppola's latest science fiction film, is held dear to the legendary director who's been working on the script for the past 40 years. He even sold one of his vineyards to fund the movie. However, instead of discussing the film's content starring Adam Driver, audiences and critics were overwhelmed by reports of Coppola's unprofessional and lewd conduct during filming.
The British "Guardian" published an article on Tuesday revealing that multiple crew members had previously expressed their concerns over the director's behavior. In one scene set in a nightclub, Coppola made several attempts to kiss scantily-clad female extras to "put them in the mood."
"What's wrong with this man?"
The newspaper also mentioned rumors of his chaotic shooting style. According to an insider, Coppola would arrive on set in the morning and demand the cast and crew to replicate a scene without having prepared a plan, leaving them in limbo for hours. The source continued: "He'd park himself in his trailer all morning, not talking to anyone, sometimes smoking marijuana." There were days when nothing was filmed, and the whole crew, including the high-profile actors, had to wait idly.
A second crew member described the situation as absurd: "I've heard people saying, 'Has this guy ever shot a movie before?' Everyone was aware that they were participating in what could have been the sad end of his career."
The reports cast a shadow not only on Coppola's reputation but also on the highly-anticipated release of "Megalopolis."
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The scandal surrounding Coppola's inappropriate behavior towards female extras also brought up past allegations of sexual abuse in the Hollywood entertainment industry, sparking a broader conversation about power imbalances and misconduct within the film industry.
Despite the controversy, several prominent actors and filmmakers have continued to express support for Coppola and his work, raising questions about accountability and the industry's response to such allegations at major festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival.
Source: www.ntv.de
