Coppola allegedly tried to kiss female extras and pulled women onto his lap
Film follows New York City-like metropolis in aftermath of destruction, stars Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel
Francis Ford Coppola facing allegations of inappropriate behavior on 'Megalopolis' set
Production of 'Megalopolis' chaotic with long delays and concerns about Coppola's management style
Set to premiere at Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2024
Some saw it as old-school approach, others unacceptable conduct
Francis Ford Coppola, the renowned filmmaker behind classics like 'The Godfather' trilogy and 'Apocalypse Now,' is facing allegations of inappropriate behavior on the set of his latest project, 'Megalopolis.' According to multiple sources reported by The Guardian, Coppola allegedly tried to kiss some female extras during a nightclub scene and pulled women onto his lap. These actions were described as part of an 'old-school' approach to women on set. However, executive co-producer Darren Demetre defended Coppola, stating that the director gave 'kind hugs and kisses on the cheek' to cast and background players during the shoot.
The production of 'Megalopolis,' a self-financed passion project for Coppola, has been chaotic. Reports suggest that Coppola spent hours in his trailer without speaking to anyone, causing long delays in filming. Some crew members have expressed concerns about the director's management style and questioned whether he had ever made a movie before.
Despite these challenges, 'Megalopolis' is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2024. The film follows a New York City-like metropolis in the aftermath of catastrophic destruction and stars Adam Driver as an idealistic architect who wants to rebuild the city. Giancarlo Esposito plays the corrupt mayor, and Nathalie Emmanuel is his daughter caught in the middle.
Francis Ford Coppola tried to kiss extras during a nightclub sequence.
Coppola pulled women to sit on his lap.
Accuracy
Francis Ford Coppola allegedly tried to kiss some topless female extras.
Coppola reportedly claimed he was ‘trying to get them in the mood’.
There were reports of a near-mutiny on set halfway through Megalopolis’ four-month shoot.
Deception
(80%)
The article reports on accusations of misconduct by Francis Ford Coppola towards extras during the filming of 'Megalopolis'. The author quotes an executive producer's statement that he was not aware of any complaints and described Coppola's actions as 'kind hugs and kisses on the cheek'. However, this does not negate the possibility of deceptive practices. The article does not disclose if these sources are reliable or if they have been contacted for comment. Additionally, the author uses emotional manipulation by describing anticipation for the premiere of 'Megalopolis' building to a fever pitch at Cannes and using phrases like 'high stakes' and 'zero commercial prospects'. The article also engages in selective reporting by focusing on the chaotic production conditions and Coppola's behavior towards extras, while omitting any mention of allegations against him made by cast members or crew members. Lastly, the author uses sensationalism by using phrases like 'anonymous sources', 'chaotic production', and 'unusual production conditions'.
The article focuses largely on the movie’s unusual production conditions and, citing an unnamed crew member, said that Coppola stayed in his trailer for hours at a time, delaying filming.
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Francis Ford Coppola financed 'Megalopolis' with $120 million of his own money.
Coppola was accused of showing up late to sets and not allowing collaborators to put plans in place.
Mike Figgis had positive things to say about Coppola’s determination during the making of ‘Megalopolis.’
Accuracy
Francis Ford Coppola allegedly tried to kiss some topless female extras.
Coppola reportedly claimed he was 'trying to get them in the mood'.
There were reports of a near-mutiny on set halfway through Megalopolis’ four-month shoot.
Deception
(30%)
The article reports on allegations of inappropriate behavior by Francis Ford Coppola towards women on the set of Megalopolis. However, the article also includes quotes from Darren Demetre, an executive producer on the film, who defends Coppola and claims that no one expressed any discomfort with his behavior. The article does not clearly establish whose statements are editorializing or pontificating and whose are factual reports. Additionally, there is selective reporting of only the negative allegations against Coppola without mentioning any positive experiences or context that may exist.
During one bacchanalian nightclub scene being shot for the film, witnesses say, Coppola came on to the set and tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras. He apparently claimed he was 'trying to get them in the mood.'
Coppola allegedly pulled women to sit on his lap, for example.
Defending Coppola is Darren Demetre, the executive co-producer on Megalopolis.
Demetre told the publication that Coppola did kiss some extras on the cheek in a friendly manner and no one ever expressed to him that Coppola’s behavior made them uncomfortable.
Several sources told The Guardian that Coppola was 'old school' in his behavior toward women.
Fallacies
(80%)
The author makes an appeal to authority with the quotes from Darren Demetre and Mike Figgis. However, there are also instances of inflammatory rhetoric used by unnamed crew members when they question Coppola's experience as a filmmaker. No formal fallacies were found.
“Has this guy ever made a movie before?”
Bias
(80%)
The author reports on allegations of inappropriate behavior by Francis Ford Coppola towards women on the set of Megalopolis. The author quotes several crew members who describe Coppola's behavior as 'old school' and providing examples such as pulling women to sit on his lap and trying to kiss female extras during a nightclub scene. However, one crew member, Darren Demetre, defends Coppola by stating that he only kissed the extras on the cheek in a friendly manner and no one ever expressed discomfort. The author also quotes Mike Figgis who had positive things to say about Coppola's determination and ability to handle clashes between cast members. While there are differing perspectives presented, the author does not take a clear stance or use language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable.
And during one bacchanalian nightclub scene being shot for the film, witnesses say, Coppola came on to the set and tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras. He apparently claimed he was 'trying to get them in the mood.'
Several sources told The Guardian that Coppola was 'old school' in his behavior toward women. He allegedly pulled women to sit on his lap, for example.
Coppola allegedly tried to kiss some topless female extras and made the team wait for hours without filming.
Coppola reportedly claimed he was ‘trying to get them in the mood’.
Accuracy
Francis Ford Coppola allegedly tried to kiss some topless female extras and made the team wait for hours without filming.
Deception
(50%)
The article reports allegations made by unnamed sources about Francis Ford Coppola's behavior on the set of 'Megalopolis'. The author does not provide any evidence to support these allegations beyond the statements of anonymous sources. This is an example of selective reporting, as the article only reports details that support the negative portrayal of Coppola. Additionally, there are emotional manipulative phrases used in the article such as 'hours and hours' and 'bacchanalian nightclub scene'. These phrases are intended to elicit an emotional response from readers without providing any factual information.
He allegedly pulled women to sit on his lap, for example. And during one bacchanalian nightclub scene being shot for the film, witnesses say, Coppola came on to the set and tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras.
Several crew members on Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis have alleged that the veteran filmmaker tried to kiss some of the topless female extras
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric. It reports allegations without direct evidence and includes a counter-argument without providing sources for either side of the claim. Additionally, there is an example of a dichotomous depiction.
. . . multiple sources told the publication that Coppola (85), best known for "The Godfather" trilogy and "Apocalypse Now", was 'old school' in his behaviour toward women.
. . . Coppola came on to the set and tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras. He apparently claimed he was 'trying to get them in the mood'.
Crew members told Guardian that Coppola would spend several hours away from the film set. "He would often just sit in his trailer for hours on end, wasn't talk to anybody, was often smoking marijuana."
Bias
(80%)
The author reports allegations of inappropriate behavior by Coppola towards female extras on set, including attempts to kiss them. This could be seen as an example of sexual bias.
He allegedly pulled women to sit on his lap, for example. And during one bacchanalian nightclub scene being shot for the film, witnesses say, Coppola came on to the set and tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras. He apparently claimed he was ‘trying to get them in the mood’,
Coppola allegedly pulled some women onto his lap and tried to kiss topless and scantily clad female extras.
Accuracy
Francis Ford Coppola allegedly pulled some women onto his lap and tried to kiss topless and scantily clad female extras.
Coppola was accused of unpreparedness on set, often showing up late and not communicating a plan to his collaborators.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to authority when quoting Darren Demetre's statement about Coppola's behavior on set. However, the author does not provide any context or evidence to support that Demetre is a reliable source or expert on Coppola's behavior towards women. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing Coppola's alleged actions as 'questionable behavior,' 'old-school approach,' and 'getting them in the mood.' These descriptions are subjective and do not provide any objective evidence to support the fallacy.
Several sources claimed Coppola took an old-school approach to women on set and pulled some of them onto his lap. The 85-year-old also allegedly tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras to get them in the mood for a nightclub scene.
Coppola addressed the murmurs around filming for Megalopolis last year, telling Deadline, These reports never say who these sources are.
Bias
(80%)
The author uses the phrase 'several sources claimed' to describe allegations against Francis Ford Coppola without providing any context or evidence about the sources. This could potentially be an example of unnamed source bias if these sources are not identified and their credibility is not established.
several sources claimed Coppola took an 'old-school' approach to women on set and pulled some of them onto his lap. The 85-year-old also allegedly tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras to ‘get them in the mood’ for a nightclub scene.
Francis Ford Coppola requested multiple scenic redesigns and used old technology for effects that could have been produced digitally.
Some crew members described long, wasted days where the director would sit in his trailer not speaking with anyone.
Accuracy
Francis Ford Coppola allegedly tried to kiss several female extras during a nightclub scene.
Coppola reportedly claimed he was ‘trying to get them in the mood’.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains several examples of deception through selective reporting and sensationalism. The author quotes several crew members making allegations against Francis Ford Coppola's behavior on the set of Megalopolis. However, the author only reports on the most sensational allegations, implying that these are representative of Coppola's behavior as a whole. The article also fails to disclose that one of the crew members quoted in the article is a former crew member who has previously spoken out against Coppola in other publications. Additionally, the author uses emotional manipulation by describing Coppola's past behavior on the set of Apocalypse Now as chaotic and near-fatal, implying that this behavior is indicative of a pattern. The article also implies that there are more allegations than what is actually reported in the article.
These requests included multiple scenic redesigns... In one anecdote, for example, a crew member explained that during Adam Driver’s (who plays the lead) first day on set, Coppola essentially ‘strapped [him] into a chair for six hours’ and used a $100 projector to project an image onto the side of his head for an effect that also could have been produced digitally.
The set of Megalopolis, the director’s greatest (in his opinion) and potentially final film ever... Now, just days ahead of the film’s premiere at Cannes, The Guardian has a long piece fleshing out some of those behind the scenes claims from members of the crew.
According to the report, the director tried to kiss several female extras during a nightclub scene because he was ‘trying to get them in the mood.’ He also allegedly pulled some women to sit on his lap.
We’ll see whether history repeats itself when Megalopolis premieres this Friday.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to authority with the statement 'Francis Ford Coppola isn't exactly known for being the most cuddly and nurturing guy, especially if those traits would come at the expense of his art.' This is an appeal to reputation fallacy as it assumes that because Coppola has a reputation for being difficult, it is justifiable for him to behave inappropriately towards women. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric with phrases like 'chaotic', 'near-fatal heart attack', and 'real live water buffalo'. There is an example of a dichotomous depiction with the statement 'These requests included multiple scenic redesigns
Francis Ford Coppola isn't exactly known for being the most cuddly and nurturing guy, especially if those traits would come at the expense of his art.
