Francis Ford Coppola Says ‘Megalopolis’ Stars Canceled Actors

Francis Ford Coppola told Rolling Stone that his intention with “Megalopolis” was to make a movie that could not be deemed “some woke Hollywood production.” The cast includes controversial actors such as Jon Voight, who has turned heads in Hollywood for his conservative views and outspoken support for Donald Trump, and Shia LaBeouf, who was accused of sexual assault in 2021.

“What I didn’t want to happen is that we’re deemed some woke Hollywood production that’s simply lecturing viewers,” Coppola said. “The cast features people who were canceled 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.”

As far as working with LaBeouf, who has barely starred in any movies since accusations surfaced against him, Coppola praised the actor while admitting things were tense with him.

“Shia [LaBeouf] really took to it,” Coppola said. “I had no experience working with him prior to this, but he deliberately sets up a tension between himself and the director to an extreme degree. He reminds me of Dennis Hopper, who would do something similar, and then you’d say, ‘Just go do anything,’ and then they go off and do something brilliant.

“Megalopolis” stars Adam Driver as an architect with dreams of building a utopian city after a catastrophic incident leaves a New York-like metropolis in ruins. His plan make him an enemy of the city’s ruthless mayor and other powerful figures. The supporting cast also includes Aubrey Plaza, Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito and Nathalie Emmanuel.

Controversy has engulfed “Megalopolis” since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it sharply divided critics. Reports of Coppola’s alleged misconduct on the set surfaced around the same time, including claims that he kissed extras during the filming of a party scene. An additional controversy erupted this month when Lionsgate debuted the trailer for “Megalopolis” and then had to pull it offline because it featured made-up quotes from movie critics.

Lionsgate is still set to release “Megalopolis” in theaters Sept. 27. The movie will next screen at the Toronto International Film Festival.