Francis Ford Coppola Responds to 'Megalopolis' On-Set Rumors - Vulture

Photo: Daniele Venturellis/Daniele Venturelli / Getty Image

Francis Ford Coppola isn’t going to reinvent the instrumentality regarding his attack to directing adjacent if it means replacing a mates of unit members. News of a rocky accumulation mightiness not beryllium surprising; the documentary Hearts of Darkness highlighted the chaotic accumulation of Apocalypse Now, during which Coppola disquieted the movie would beryllium a “failure” due to the fact that of its galore issues. Now, with his latest film, Megalopolis — starring Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Schwartzman, Shia LaBeouf, Chloe Fineman, and much — Coppola whitethorn beryllium experiencing an Apocalypse Now–like déjà vu with his passionateness project. Coppola himself, however, denies the reports of issues connected set. “I emotion my cast, I emotion what I’m getting each day, I americium connected docket and connected budget, and that’s what is important to me,” helium told Deadline. The movie is reportedly astir a pistillate successful New York who is divided by her loyalties to her accepted begetter and her progressive partner.

Coppola is backing the $120 cardinal movie himself from his palmy vino and edifice business, thing he’s been considering for rather immoderate time, though this isn’t the archetypal clip he’s independently financed respective of his ain films, including Youth Without Youth, Tetro, and Twixt. But putting each your eggs successful 1 handbasket whitethorn not beryllium the champion idea, particularly with a hurricane brewing. Below is simply a processing communicative connected the accumulation of Coppola’s Megalopolis.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, respective cardinal members of the film’s creative-production squad person been removed from the project. Production decorator Beth Mickle and supervising creation manager David Scott reportedly near the accumulation past week, leaving the movie without an creation department. A spokesperson for the Art Directors Guild told THR that it’s “currently looking into the situation” to “determine the adjacent steps.” Coppola is reportedly trying to regenerate their positions.

As for the visual-effects team, Coppola allegedly fired astir of its members successful aboriginal December, including In The Heights’ Mark Russell. The accumulation is reportedly shifting to much green-screen effects due to the fact that of fund constraints.

Coppola himself is consenting to admit the turnover, arsenic is Driver. “Yes, it is existent that the creation section resigned and VFX were fto go,” Driver told Deadline. “Not each departments find cohesion connected films and alternatively than endure done and making decisions that permission a lasting content connected the film, radical quit, get fired, oregon portion ways. It’s unfortunate erstwhile it happens, but this accumulation is not retired of pouch successful examination to different productions; particularly to the constituent that it merits an nonfiction astir america descending into chaos. That characterization is inaccurate.”

But portion those departments resigned, Coppola and his actors are doing highly well. “I’ve ne'er worked connected a movie wherever I was truthful blessed with the cast,” the manager said to Deadline. “I americium truthful blessed with the look and that we are truthful connected schedule. These reports ne'er accidental who these sources are. To them, I say, ha, ha, conscionable hold and see. Because this is simply a beauteous movie and chiefly truthful due to the fact that the formed is truthful great. I’ve ne'er enjoyed moving with a formed who are truthful hardworking and truthful consenting to spell hunt for the unconventional, to travel upon hidden solutions. It is simply a thrill to enactment with these actors and the photography is everything I could anticipation for. The dailies are great. So if we’re connected schedule, and I emotion the actors and the look is great, I don’t cognize what anyone’s talking astir here.”

If you asking if this is simply a stressful movie for each involved, past yeah, probably. But if you’re asking whether this volition beryllium a groundbreaking deed film, lone clip volition tell. Hopefully idiosyncratic has a camera rolling down the scenes for a Hearts of Darkness moment.

This station has been updated.