Francis Ford Coppola addresses casting ‘cancelled actors’ in Megalopolis

Director said cast features people who ‘were cancelled at one point or another’

Francis Ford Coppola has opened up about his decision to feature actors who have been “cancelled” in Megalopolis.

The film, which has received mixed reviews, stars Adam Driver as Cesar, an artist-inventor nursing dreams of a utopian metropolis at odds with the city’s mayor, played by Giancarlo Esposito. It also stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Coppola addressed his casting decisions – in particular the inclusion of Jon Voight, who is an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump. The actor, 85, recently accused his daughter Angelina Jolie of “Israel-bashing” over her calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

On his casting decision, Coppola said: “What I didn’t want to happen is that we’re deemed some woke Hollywood production that’s simply lecturing viewers.”

“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,” he explained.

Being “cancelled” is when an individual is boycotted for being deemed to have spoken or acted in an unacceptable or controversial manner.

Francis Ford Coppola (Getty Images)

Another supporting cast member, Shia LaBeouf, who plays Cesar’s cousin, was accused by former girlfriend and singer FKA Twigs of allegations of abuse and sexual battery. LaBeouf has denied “each and every allegation” of abuse brought to trial by Twigs. The conclusion of the trial has been postponed until October.

The film itself has been surrounded by controversy. Last week, Lionsgate pulled an advert that contained fake quotes, while Coppola has faced allegations of inappropriate on set behaviour, including claims of “pulling women to sit on his lap” and “trying to kiss some of the topless and scantily-clad female extras”.

Footage surfaced in July of the director kissing extras on set, with one woman coming out and saying she was left “in shock” by the incident.

Two clips, reportedly taken by a crewmember and published by Variety, showed Coppola roaming around a dance floor scene in the film as he hugged and kissed female extras.

Variety’s source claimed that after several takes, the director announced over a microphone: “Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s solely for my pleasure.”

Adam Driver in ‘Megalopolis’ (Lionsgate)

One of the women in the video, Lauren Pagone, who appeared in multiple scenes in Megalopolis as an extra, said: “I was in shock. I didn’t expect him to kiss and hug me like that. I was caught off guard. And I can tell you he came around a couple times.”

Another extra has denied that Coppola had been inappropriate on set. “He did nothing to make me or for that matter anyone on set feel uncomfortable,” Rayna Menz, who also appears in the video, told Deadline in July.

Coppola previously denied the allegations, telling The New York Times in an interview: “I’m not touchy-feely. I’m too shy.”

“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,” he said.

The Independent’s Geoffrey Macnab gave Megalopolis three stars, describing it as being “deeply flawed and very eccentric”.

The Independent has contacted Coppola’s representatives for comment.