When filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola moved forward with his ambitious self-financed feature film, “Megalopolis,” there were some people who were skeptical that the director could manage such a large project without the help of a major studio paying the bills and navigating such a large cast/crew in the modern era. Yesterday, there had been word from The Hollywood Reporter that the pic, currently shooting in Atlanta, might be in serious trouble by citing the exodus of crew members and a ballooning budget.
Today, Coppola is refuting that narrative while speaking with Deadline stating that they are actually “on schedule and on budget.” Countering the production report that suggested those headaches could put the project in “peril.” The impressive group of actors assembled for “Megalopolis” consists of Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Schwartzman, Grace VanderWaal, Kathryn Hunter, Talia Shire, and Dustin Hoffman.
“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,” Coppola said.
Further in the report, Coppola claimed that the elimination of the VFX department during production is something he engineered to keep the film on budget. As it’s said that Coppola is using experimental technology in filming, and the director who is paying for the film via self-financing decided it was more efficient to service most of those effects in post-production at a later date. The report also added that the art department left over creative differences involving personnel, which isn’t an uncommon thing as crew members can leave at various points of production/post if they’re not fitting well with the overall vision.
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“It was basically about managing cost,” Coppola added. “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.”
Coppola, for most of his directorial career, has rolled with punches and various hiccups on other productions in the past. “Apocalypse Now” was infamously difficult and saw Harvey Keitel replaced with Martin Sheen within weeks among other larger logistical issues of shooting an epic Vietnam War odyssey overseas using high-end practical effects, stunts using helicopters, boat scenes that are notoriously expensive/time-consuming, and multiple elaborate sets. If anyone can manage stress and problems that arise during filming, Coppola can.
