Francis Ford Coppola addresses misconduct allegations on Megalopolis set: ‘I’m not touchy-feely’

Megalopolis had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last month, and opened to wildly polarizing reviews.

Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis was one of the most buzziest titles at the 77th Cannes Film Festival which concluded last month. Ahead of the premiere, there was a report published by The Guardian that detailed the director’s alleged misconduct on set as pointed out by crew members. Now, in a new interview, Coppola has opened up about these allegations, and denied them categorically. (Also read: Megalopolis first reactions: Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘delirious fever dream’ of a film divides audience)

Director Francis Ford Coppola poses during a photocall for the film Megalopolis in competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 17, 2024. (REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)

What Coppola said

In the interview with The New York Times, when Coppola was asked about the allegations he talked about his mother, Italia and said, “She looked like Hedy Lamarr. I have the picture. But my mother told me that if you make an advance toward a woman, it means you disrespect her, and the girls I had crushes on, I certainly didn’t disrespect them. I’m not touchy-feely. I’m too shy.”

Earlier Megalopolis executive producer Darren Demetre released a statement after the Guardian report, and said: “I was never aware of any complaints of harassment or ill behavior during the course of the project."

About Megalopolis

Megalopolis is touted as the director's passion project, which has been in formation for many years. The self-financed film reportedly has a budget of around $120m. It has a star-studded cast that includes Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, and Jason Schwartzman. The film received divisive reviews upon release, even though the Cannes audience gave it a 7-minute standing ovation after the premiere.

The film is set in a futuristic city, much like the Roman Empire, and follows an architect named Caesar, essayed by Driver, who wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia, following a disaster. Megalopolis marks Coppola's first film in a decade, after the 2011 horror flick Twixt.