Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel join Francis Ford Coppola at Megalopolis premiere at TIFF amid controversy over film
As a cinephile with decades of film industry experience under my belt, I must say that the saga of Francis Ford Coppola’s latest film, Megalopolis, has been nothing short of intriguing. Having witnessed the turbulent production of films like Apocalypse Now and The Cotton Club, I can empathize with the crew member who spoke about the chaotic set of Megalopolis. It seems that Coppola’s unorthodox methods have not changed, despite the passage of time.
As a lifestyle enthusiast, I was thrilled to attend the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday night, where I got a glimpse of the main actors gracing the red carpet for Francis Ford Coppola’s latest movie Megalopolis. Among them were none other than Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel. What an exciting start to the film festival!
As an over-the-moon fanboy, I found myself standing in the heart of a breathtaking group photo alongside the legendary Oscar-winning director, now 85 years young, along with the talented Timothée Chalamet (40), Emmanuel Sanders (35), D.B. Sweeney (62), Grace VanderWaal (20), and Giancarlo Esposito (66). This momentous occasion was none other than the North American premiere of our beloved film, held at the hallowed Roy Thomson Hall.
During the premieres of his newest film, Coppola wore a dark gray suit paired with a light gray shirt featuring a yellow pattern on the tie.
As the onscreen character portraying Gaius Julius Caesar (Caesar Catilina in this case), I stepped into the costume of a black suit, complete with a crisp white button-up shirt and a sleek black tie. Born and raised in San Diego, I accessorized my look with a well-groomed goatee and slicked back shaggy black hair.
Emmanuel looked stunning in a shoulderless white textured gown with ruffled bottom panel. The U.K.-born actress-activist, who portrays Julia Cicero, had her blonde locks back at the film premiere and accessorized with gold earrings.
In a stylish ensemble featuring a blue jacket, a black pocket square, black trousers, and a white turtleneck, Esposito – who portrays Mayor Cicero – presented an elegant appearance. Previously of Breaking Bad fame, he sported black-framed glasses and was spotted hugging Coppola at one instance during the scene.
Earlier this year, Coppola’s behavior during film production came under investigation following allegations that he attempted to kiss some of the nearly-naked and scantily-dressed female background actors who were working on his upcoming project.
According to a report from The Guardian published in May, several sources expressed the belief that Coppola might exhibit traditional or outdated manners towards women.
According to eyewitness accounts, the well-known director allegedly approached the filming location at a nightclub and attempted to kiss several scantily-clad, topless female background actors.
Last month, the filmmaker from Detroit, known for directing the Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now (a production notorious for its chaos), spoke with Rolling Stone regarding the contentious issues surrounding his upcoming film.
Coppola stated about the story: ‘If you go through that article, you’ll understand that the information likely came from the same individuals – I can’t say for certain who they were – as those who supplied quotes for the Hollywood Reporter article claiming multiple people left or stepped down, and that there was a large-scale departure, all of which was reported.’
In essence, what I’m trying to convey is this: They were actually searching for something incriminating. As for the young ladies I kissed on the New Year’s Eve, let me clarify that they were acquaintances of mine.
He noted that the ‘timing of that article’ was suspicious, as the story emerged prior to the movie’s Cannes Film Festival debut.
Coppola remarked, “It’s utterly absurd! Just as we’re ready to debut the film at Cannes, they’re attempting to tarnish the movie.
Coppola expressed that the origin of his storytelling stemmed from his role as an avant-garde movie director.
In Hollywood, it’s often suggested that adhering to their guidelines increases one’s chances of success. However, Coppola pointed out, “But what about Francis? He doesn’t play by your rules. So, if we follow this logic, he’ll end up failing.
The director stated, “I’m attempting to create something unique in this project. Cinema evolves. To put it simply, the films your grandkids will produce will look vastly different from what we’re accustomed to today.
A report published by The Guardian in May suggested that several team members working on the movie’s production felt unhappy about their work environment, as there was a high level of staff change, particularly within the visual effects and art departments.
One crew member remarked, ‘It seemed unbelievable to suggest, but at times, we found ourselves questioning if the director had any prior filmmaking experience.’
Amongst us, there was an understanding that this could potentially mark a very somber conclusion to his professional journey.
One team member commented that the filmmaking experience, under Coppola’s chaotic organization and micromanagement of every aspect of production, was both challenging and ineffective for the creative process.
The team member stated that he frequently arrived early in the mornings before major scenes, but since no preparations had been made and he wouldn’t let others make plans, he would typically spend long hours in his trailer, avoiding interaction with others and often smoking marijuana.
The team member mentioned that long periods, sometimes hours on end, would pass without any footage being captured. During these times, both the crew and the actors would often gather and spend their time idly waiting.
Later, he’d unexpectedly appear and concoct ideas that seemed illogical and unrelated to our conversation or the written material. We found ourselves adapting, attempting to derive meaning from the situation in the best way possible.
On a day-to-day basis, the puzzled team often found themselves leaving with a shake of their heads, pondering over what they had just invested the past 12 hours in, as one crew member put it.
During the film production process, Coppola was simultaneously managing his wife Eleanor Coppola’s illness. Tragically, she passed away in April at the age of 87. According to reports from The Guardian, Eleanor had been on set until her health issues made it impossible for her to continue.
A debate arose concerning the film due to critic’s remarks in their reviews, prompting Lionsgate to withdraw the trailer for the movie. The comments, which featured those from deceased critics like Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert, were not found in earlier reviews of the director’s previous films.
Lionsgate has quickly pulled their trailer for Megalopolis, as confirmed by a company representative. They extend their heartfelt apologies to the critics and Francis Ford Coppola, along with American Zoetrope, due to the unforgivable mistake in our quality control. We made a mistake, and we are truly sorry.
The movie is set to hit theaters nationwide September 27.
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2024-09-10 09:04