While addressing allegations of unprofessional behavior, famed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola admits to kissing women on the Megalopolis set.
The accusations started just before the Cannes Film Festival in May. A report accused Francis Ford Coppola of acting inappropriately towards some of the women on the film’s set.
A witness of the behavior to The Guardian that the filmmaker “came on the set and tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras” while filming a nightclub scene.
Other sources reportedly claimed that Francis Ford Coppola is “old school” in his approach to female cast and crew on film sets. He even allegedly pulled some of them to sit on his lap.
However, when asked by Rolling Stone if he had “kissed and touched extras in a way some people found inappropriate,” the filmmaker knew what the interviewer was referring to.
“You’re talking about The Guardian piece, which is totally untrue,” he responded. “The truth of the matter is they were looking for some sort of dirt. The young women I kissed on the cheek in regards to the New Year’s scene — they were young women I knew.”
Francis Ford Coppola then stated he felt that those who made the claims and reported on them were “just trying to damage” the movie ahead of its Cannes Film Festival premiere. “It’s all so ridiculous,” he reaffirmed. “Look at the timing of that article.”
Francis Ford Coppola Said He Has to Follow Hollywood’s Rules For a ‘Better Chance of a Success’
Francis Ford Coppola wasn’t done with the subject. He shared, “There’s a prevailing tendency in Hollywood to say, ‘If you follow our rules, you’ll have a better chance of a success.’”
“’Well, what about Francis? He doesn’t follow your rules,'” Francis quotes. “‘Well, look, what’s going to happen to him, he’s going to have a failure.'”
He also noted he was “trying to do something different” with Megalopolis and the film is “change.”
“I mean, the movies that your grandchildren are going to make are going to be nothing like what we see now,” Coppola continued.
Last month, Variety obtained two videos that backed the witness’ on-set claims. During the scene, which was shot in Feb. 2023 at Atlanta’s Tabernacle, specific extras playing female partygoers had “cleared for topless nudity” while others were “cleared for scantily clad.”
As Coppola directs, he keeps walking up to kiss and hug several of the female extras. He would even insert himself into the shot. A source claimed his behavior was “uncommon.”