Francis Ford Coppola allegedly tried to kiss topless extras on “Megalopolis” set to 'get them in the mood'

Multiple unnamed sources told "The Guardian" that Coppola could be "old school" in his behavior around women.

Francis Ford Coppola has been accused of unpleasant behavior on the set of his upcoming sci-fi epic Megalopolis, including allegedly trying to kiss female extras to try to "get them in the mood."

In a report about the filmmaker's four-decade journey to bring the film to screen published by The Guardian on Tuesday, multiple unnamed sources alleged Coppola could be "old school" in his behavior around women. He allegedly pulled women to sit on his lap and, during a nightclub scene, "tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras." He allegedly claimed that he was “trying to get them in the mood."

Reps for Coppola didn't immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment on the allegations.

Related: See Adam Driver as a 'genius artist' in Francis Ford Coppola's long-awaited Megalopolis

The film's executive producer, Darren Demetre, denied that Coppola behaved inappropriately, telling The Guardian that he was "never aware of any complaints of harassment or ill behavior during the course of the project.”

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"I have known and worked with Francis and his family for over 35 years," Demetre told the outlet. "Francis successfully produced and directed an enormous independent film, making all the difficult decisions to ensure it was delivered on time and on budget while remaining true to his creative vision. There were two days when we shot a celebratory Studio 54-esque club scene where Francis walked around the set to establish the spirit of the scene by giving kind hugs and kisses on the cheek to the cast and background players. It was his way to help inspire and establish the club atmosphere, which was so important to the film." 

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Premiering May 17 at the Cannes Film Festival, Megalopolis stars Adam Driver as an architect hoping to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a disaster. It features a starry cast, including Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, and Aubrey Plaza. The long-gestating project has been plagued by reports of chaos on set amid a ballooning budget and crew "exodus" — allegations once again put forth in The Guardian's recent reporting.

But both Coppola and Driver have denied reports of chaos. "These reports never say who these sources are," Coppola told Deadline last year. "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... 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." Driver added, "I've been on sets that were chaotic, and this one is far from it."

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