Francis Ford Coppola has come out and denied reports of a chaotic “Megalopolis” production. This as IndieWire confirmed THR’s report from yesterday that key creative talent such as the visual effects production supervisor, production designer, and supervising art director were fired in December.
“I love my cast, I love what I’m getting each day, I am on schedule and on budget, and that’s what is important to me […] I’ve never worked on a film where I was so happy with the cast. I am so happy with the look and that we are so on schedule. These reports never say who these sources are. To them, I say, ha, ha, just wait and see. Because this is a beautiful film and primarily so because the cast is so great. I’ve never enjoyed working with a cast who are so hardworking and so willing to go search for the unconventional, to come upon hidden solutions. It is a thrill to work with these actors and the photography is everything I could hope for. The dailies are great. So if we’re on schedule, and I love the actors and the look is great, I don’t know what anyone’s talking about here.”
I kind of want the chaos to be true. It’s not essential Coppola without a turbulent production.
Coppola went on to add that he does not expect a 2023 release and that shooting will conclude in the spring. He also wants “a theatrical release in theaters, and IMAX theaters,” and a goal “that for the first time in history, a movie could open up on the same day everywhere in the world.”
Here’s the best news out of all of this drama: filmmaker Mike Figgis (“Leaving Las Vegas”) has revealed on Instagram that he’s on the set and currently working on a “Megalopolis” behind-the-scenes documentary. Heart of Darkness: Part Deux?