Francis Ford Coppola was seen “trying to kiss young female extras” in shocking new footage of the Oscar-winning director on the set of his upcoming sci-fi film Megalopolis.
Earlier this year in May, the 85-year-old filmmaker was initially accused of attempting to “kiss topless and scantily clad female extras” during the filming of the movie, which is set to hit theaters later this year on September 27.
And on Friday, Variety obtained two videos that were taken by a crew member on the Megalopolis set last February while filming a nightclub scene.
In the clips, Coppola could be seen strolling around a crowded dance floor filled with female extras as music blared from the speakers – and he appeared to approach a few of them while attempting to kiss and hug them.
The scene – which also stars one of the cast’s main stars, Nathalie Emmanuel – was filmed at the Tabernacle concert hall in Atlanta, Georgia.
Coppola reportedly hugged and kissed shirtless actors while filming in Atlanta
Francis Ford Coppola, 85, was seen ‘trying to kiss young female extras’ in shocking new footage of the Oscar-winning director on the set of his sci-fi epic Megalopolis; seen in Cannes in May
According to a call sheet also obtained by Variety, background actors playing female party guests were “allowed to go topless” while others were “allowed to go scantily clad.”
About 150 to 200 people were on set to film the nightclub scene, including Coppola and other crew members.
Sources told the outlet that Coppola behaved with “impunity” on set, while acting in an “unprofessional” manner.
A source close to the case also claimed that Francis tried to approach female extras during the filming of a scene and accidentally placed himself in the frame.
“I’ve worked with some very important directors and this behavior is rare – the most I’ve ever seen a director do is say something like, ‘Lots of energy, guys,’” the source told Variety.
“I’ve never seen anyone on a set, and that extends to a camera operator, or even touched an actor.”
The source also claimed that at one point during the filming of the scene, Coppola announced into a microphone, “Sorry if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s only for my pleasure.”
Since no outside studios or streaming services were involved in the production, there was no HR department during filming.
And on Friday, Variety obtained two videos that were taken by a crew member on the set of Megalopolis last year while filming a nightclub scene.
And on Friday, Variety obtained two videos that were taken by a crew member on the set of Megalopolis last year in February while filming a nightclub scene; seen in May in Cannes
Another source said: “Because Coppola was financing the project, there was no human resources department to monitor the situation. Who were they supposed to go to? Complain to Coppola and report back?”
However, intimacy coordinators Samantha McDonald and Ashley Anderson worked on the film, but neither were on set during the nightclub scene.
McDonald told Variety: “I can’t really speak to why they chose to bring us in when they did and not when they didn’t.”
A few months earlier, in May, a report published by The Guardian detailed Francis’ conduct during the filming of the movie, citing several sources who “felt Coppola could be ‘old school’ in his behavior toward women.”
Eyewitnesses told the outlet that while filming a scene in a club, the famed filmmaker “came onto the set and tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras.”
The Detroit-born director, who directed The Godfather trilogy as well as Apocalypse Now (which also had a chaotic production), premiered his film at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Darren Demetre, the film’s producer, told the outlet that Coppola tried to set the tone for the room with his actions during the filming of the club scene.
“There were two days where we shot a Studio 54-style party club scene where Francis would walk around the set establishing the spirit of the scene by giving gentle hugs and kisses on the cheek to the actors and extras,” Demetre said.
Demetre said the filmmaker’s hugs and kisses toward the performers “were his way of inspiring and establishing the atmosphere of the club, which was so important to the film.”
Demetre, who said he was “one of the first assistant directors and executive producer” of Megalopolis, added that he “never heard of any complaints of harassment or bad behavior during the project.”
Demetre said Coppola managed to execute every aspect of directing the film, which stars Adam Driver leading an ensemble cast.
“I’ve worked with some really important directors and this behavior is rare — the most I’ve ever seen a director do is say something like, ‘High energy, guys,’” the source told Variety; seen in 2022 in Los Angeles
Demetre said Coppola managed to execute every aspect of directing the film, which stars Adam Driver leading an ensemble cast.
“Francis successfully produced and directed a massive independent film, making all the difficult decisions to ensure it was delivered on time and on budget, while remaining true to his creative vision,” he said.
The Guardian report says several crew members were unhappy with their experience on the set of the film, which saw a significant change in its visual effects and art teams.
“It sounds crazy to say,” one crew member said, “but there were times when we were all standing there wondering, ‘Has this guy ever made a movie before?'”
Another crew member said of the mood on set: “We were all aware that we were taking part in what could be a really sad end to a career.”
A crew member said the film’s creative process was frustrating and inefficient due to Coppola’s disorganization and insistence on overseeing every aspect of production.
“He would often arrive in the morning before these big sequences and because no shots had been set up, and because he wouldn’t allow his collaborators to set one up, he would often sit in his trailer for hours, not talk to anyone, often smoke marijuana,” the crew member said.
One crew member said that “hours and hours would go by without anything being filmed. And the crew and the actors would just stand there waiting.
“And then he would go out and make up something that didn’t make sense, that didn’t fit in with anything anyone else had talked about or what was on the page, and we would all accept it, try to make the best of it.”
The confused crew “would come away every day shaking their heads and wondering what they had done in the last 12 hours,” the crew member said.
While filming the film, Coppola also had to deal with the illness of his wife Eleanor Coppola, who died at the age of 87 in April of this year.
A few months earlier, in May, a report published by The Guardian detailed Francis’ conduct during the filming of the movie, citing several sources who “felt Coppola could be ‘old school’ in his behavior toward women”; seen in 2019 in Hollywood
Another crew member said of the mood on set: “We were all aware that we were participating in what could be a really sad end to a career”; seen in 2022 in Hollywood
Eleanor was on set of the film “until her illness prevented her from being there,” a spokesperson told the Guardian.
Along with Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel, other stars who have been cast in the upcoming project include Dustin Hoffman, Giancarlo Esposito, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, Chloe Fineman and DB Sweeney.
The plot is as follows: “An architect wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia after a devastating disaster,” according to an official IMDB synopsis.
Coppola not only directed Megalopolis, but also wrote the screenplay and self-financed the film on a whopping $120 million budget.
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