Megalopolis and its director, Francis Ford Coppola, continue to be plagued by controversies. The veteran director seems to have a knack for stirring up a storm. According to Associated Press, Coppola has sued Variety for $15 million over the media outlet’s story of allegations against the helmer for inappropriate behaviour and on-set misconduct.
Megalopolis features Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina, an architect in a futuristic New York City-inspired metropolis called New Rome. Catilina aims to rebuild the city after a devastating accident destroys it.
Associated Press has reported that Coppola seeks $15 million in reputational and emotional damages from Variety for an article published on July 26. The outlet alleged in its report that Coppola tried to inappropriately kiss and touch young female extras on the movie’s sets without their consent.
The director has issued a statement regarding this troubling scenario via People.
“To see our collective efforts tainted by false, reckless and irresponsible reporting is devastating. No publication, especially a legacy industry outlet, should be enabled to use surreptitious video and unnamed sources in pursuit of their own financial gain. While I have no intention of litigating this in the media, I will vigorously defend my reputation and have trust in the courts to hold them accountable.”
On the other hand, Variety stands strong with the reporters (Bret Lang and Tatiana Siegel) who covered the story.
Coppola’s legal action against Variety is merely a component of the broader controversy surrounding Megalopolis, which reportedly bewildered the critics at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. As a result, the director found it extremely hard to find a suitable distributor for his so-called dream project. Somehow, Lionsgate came on board. Moreover, the early box office predictions have revealed that the movie could have a domestic opening of $5-8 million only, which is nowhere near its enormous budget of $120 million.
Furthermore, the critical reception towards Megalopolis has been highly polarising so far, indicated by its ‘rotten’ critic score of 54% based on over 70 certified reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. In August, the second trailer for Megalopolis sparked controversy when it featured fake review quotes that disparaged Coppola’s earlier films. Given the film’s unfavorable reception and persistent controversies, it appears that the director’s distinguished career may be headed for a disheartening finale. Stay tuned for more updates.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
