"Just know it's solely for my pleasure": Francis Ford Coppola allegations explored as footage of director kissing Megalopolis extras emerges

Footage of Francis Ford Coppola’s alleged attempt to kiss Megalopolis extras, has recently surfaced. Ahead of the film’s release in two months, Variety got hold of two videos capturing the 85-year-old filmmaker's apparent misconduct on set.

According to the outlet’s July 26 article, a crew member recorded the videos during a nightclub filming scene last year. The source told Variety, that Francis, who financed the film’s $120 million budget on his own, announced on a microphone mid-shooting:

"Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s solely for my pleasure."

The source explained:

"Because Coppola funded it there was no HR department to keep things in check...Who were they supposed to talk to? Complain to Coppola and report Coppola to himself?"

The previously mentioned scene was filmed at Atlanta’s Tabernacle concert hall in February 2023, and starred actress Nathalie Emmanuel. As per Variety's source, female extras who played partygoers at the club were scantily clothed.

Variety also mentioned that according to its source, around 150 to 200 people were reportedly present at the nightclub who were recording when Francis Ford Coppola began his direction. The 85-year-old was allegedly approaching the women, to their surprise, and was trying to hug and kiss them, ruining several shots in the process. The source noted it was odd:

"I’ve worked with really important directors and that behavior is uncommon — the most I’ve ever seen any director do is say something like, 'high energy, guys'...I’ve never seen anyone on set, and this extends to a camera operator, so much as touch an actor."

Another source from the film’s production revealed that video of the director trying to kiss the female extras began circulating after the nightclub scene. After that, some senior members of the crew reportedly reminded other staff of the NDA (non-disclosure agreement) they had to sign, which prevents anyone from posting or sharing any video clip from the movie's shooting.

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Francis Ford Coppola's alleged behavior on set explored

An article published by The Guardian in May detailed Francis Ford Coppola’s behavior on the set of his upcoming sci-fi movie Megalopolis. The outlet reported that the venture to make this movie had been in inception for 40 years and the project has undergone several delays and alterations.

Despite the cast members’ positive review of their experiences working with The Godfather-famed director, some sources spoke of a different ordeal. One crew member reportedly said:

"It was like watching a train wreck unfold day after day, week after week, and knowing that everybody there had tried their hardest to help the train wreck be avoided."

A former crew member who wished to remain anonymous as per The Guardian, explained that Francis Ford Coppola's “old-school approach” of direction apparently collided with modern technologies that have made film-making easier. The member reportedly said:

"I think Coppola still lives in this world where, as an auteur, you’re the only one who knows what’s happening, and everybody else is there just to do what he asks them to do."

According to reports, the crew member said, Francis himself could not conjure up a true vision for Megalopolis, which made it difficult for the crew to figure out how the movie would look.

Another crew member allegedly revealed one of Francis Ford Coppola’s habits that left the rest of them clueless:

"He would often show up in the mornings before these big sequences and because no plan had been put in place, and because he wouldn’t allow his collaborators to put a plan in place, he would often just sit in his trailer for hours on end, wouldn’t talk to anybody, was often smoking marijuana"

The member recalled that the days would go by without filming for hours on end, while the cast and the crew would wait for Francis. When he would finally come out of his trailer, he would allegedly propose some ideas that everyone had trouble comprehending.

One crew member reportedly expressed:

"He was just so unpleasant toward a lot of the people who were trying to help facilitate the process and help make the movie better."

Speaking about the nightclub scene, clips from which recently went viral, the crew member said Francis apparently tried to kiss some of the extras with little to no clothes on. The member claimed Francis Ford Coppola was allegedly “trying to get them in the mood.”