(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
For years, Francis Ford Coppola has been planning his epic, Megalopolis, which debuted in May, 2024, at the Cannes Film Festival. However, the filmmaker’s passion project has been surrounded by controversy, with stories coming out about his alleged misconduct on set.
The director has now shared his thoughts on the film not being “woke,” proudly explaining that actors who have been “cancelled” have been cast. While Megalopolis stars well-loved actors like Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, and Giancarlo Esposito, Coppola also cast Shia LaBeouf, who was accused of sexual battery, among other claims, by his ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs.
Furthermore, Jon Voight, who is known for his pro-Trump views, has a prominent role in the movie, despite his controversial politics.
Additionally, Voight’s Midnight Cowboy co-star Dustin Hoffman plays a small part in the film. He was accused of sexual misconduct by seven different women in 2017, leading to him being blacklisted from the movie industry. The actor previously denied the allegations.
In a new interview, Coppola told Rolling Stone, “What I didn’t want to happen is that we’re deemed some woke Hollywood production that’s simply lecturing viewers,” continuing, “The cast features people who were cancelled at one point or another. There were people who are archconservatives and others who are extremely politically progressive. But we were all working on one film together. That was interesting, I thought.”
The filmmaker especially praised LaBeouf, stating that the actor “really took to it.” Coppola added, “I had no experience working with him prior to this, but he deliberately sets up a tension between himself and the director to an extreme degree. He reminds me of Dennis Hopper, who would do something similar, and then you’d say, ‘Just go do anything,’ and then they go off and do something brilliant.”
Coppola’s questionable defence of working with “cancelled” stars comes after videos of him allegedly kissing extras on set emerged – a very strange and unprofessional move. The Guardian reported that Coppola told extras that he was “trying to get them in the mood.”
Several crew members have walked out of Megalopolis’ production, while Coppola has fired many others, including almost all of the visual effects team. The fate of Megalopolis will be secured when it is released to the public in September.
Allegations against Shia LaBeouf
In June, it was revealed that FKA Twigs is seeking $10 million in damages from LaBeouf due to loss of earnings, opportunities and emotional distress following her accusations of sexual battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The trial is set to begin in October.
In court documents obtained by In Touch, LaBeouf’s lawyer wrote that Twigs alleges “mental anguish” due to not finishing her album before touring, resulting in a loss of over $1million. The response also claims that she “has not provided support for this alleged delay, the reasons behind it, or that she would have earned an extra $1million for the album’s earlier release.”
Following the initial accusations, LaBeouf issued a statement, noting, “I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behaviour made them feel. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalisations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can say.”
While speaking to British Vogue in March, FKA Twigs opened up about the challenges she’s faced in recent years due to their relationship, stating, “Being abused changes the whole of your nervous system”.
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