An extra on the set of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” has come forward to describe the “shock” she felt after the director kissed her during the filming of a scene.
Her comments come a week after Variety published videos of the Oscar-winning filmmaker milling through a crowd while stopping to kiss female background actors. One of the women in the video, Lauren Pagone, who appeared in multiple scenes in “Megalopolis” as an extra, says she was dancing in the middle of a live take of a nightclub sequence when Coppola approached her and pulled her toward him. He then hugged and kissed her.
“I was in shock. I didn’t expect him to kiss and hug me like that. I was caught off guard. And I can tell you he came around a couple times.”
Pagone has worked on several studio projects in recent years including Paramount+’s “Mayor of Kingstown...
Her comments come a week after Variety published videos of the Oscar-winning filmmaker milling through a crowd while stopping to kiss female background actors. One of the women in the video, Lauren Pagone, who appeared in multiple scenes in “Megalopolis” as an extra, says she was dancing in the middle of a live take of a nightclub sequence when Coppola approached her and pulled her toward him. He then hugged and kissed her.
“I was in shock. I didn’t expect him to kiss and hug me like that. I was caught off guard. And I can tell you he came around a couple times.”
Pagone has worked on several studio projects in recent years including Paramount+’s “Mayor of Kingstown...
- 8/2/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The allegations of Francis Ford Coppola kissing extras during the “Megalopolis” production now includes video evidence.
Variety released two videos from the “Megalopolis” set during which a nightclub scene was being filmed. The scene captured was shot on February 14, 2023, as the outlet reported. The call sheet included that actresses playing female partygoers had been “cleared for topless nudity” while other extras out of the 150 to 200 on set were “cleared for [being] scantily clad.”
Two sources told Variety that writer/director Coppola was unprofessional during the scene in question and ruined takes while hugging and kissing actresses in frame.
“I’ve never seen anyone on set, and this extends to a camera operator, so much as touch an actor,” one source said, deeming Coppola’s behavior “uncommon.”
The source claimed that Coppola announced on a microphone, “Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s solely for my pleasure.
Variety released two videos from the “Megalopolis” set during which a nightclub scene was being filmed. The scene captured was shot on February 14, 2023, as the outlet reported. The call sheet included that actresses playing female partygoers had been “cleared for topless nudity” while other extras out of the 150 to 200 on set were “cleared for [being] scantily clad.”
Two sources told Variety that writer/director Coppola was unprofessional during the scene in question and ruined takes while hugging and kissing actresses in frame.
“I’ve never seen anyone on set, and this extends to a camera operator, so much as touch an actor,” one source said, deeming Coppola’s behavior “uncommon.”
The source claimed that Coppola announced on a microphone, “Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s solely for my pleasure.
- 7/26/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
With two months to go before the release of “Megalopolis,” things are about to get awkward.
Video has surfaced of director Francis Ford Coppola that shows the legendary director trying to kiss young female extras on the set of his ambitious sci-fi epic. Variety has obtained two videos (posted below) that were taken by a crewmember last year during the filming of a bacchanalian nightclub scene.
Two sources told Variety that Coppola appeared to act with impunity on set. And unlike traditional movies, Coppola financed the entire $120 million budget himself, so there were none of the traditional checks and balances in place. The videos would appear to corroborate a bombshell report in the Guardian that claimed the 85-year-old director “tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras” and told them “he was ‘trying to get them in the mood.’” The Guardian story broke right before “Megalopolis...
Video has surfaced of director Francis Ford Coppola that shows the legendary director trying to kiss young female extras on the set of his ambitious sci-fi epic. Variety has obtained two videos (posted below) that were taken by a crewmember last year during the filming of a bacchanalian nightclub scene.
Two sources told Variety that Coppola appeared to act with impunity on set. And unlike traditional movies, Coppola financed the entire $120 million budget himself, so there were none of the traditional checks and balances in place. The videos would appear to corroborate a bombshell report in the Guardian that claimed the 85-year-old director “tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras” and told them “he was ‘trying to get them in the mood.’” The Guardian story broke right before “Megalopolis...
- 7/26/2024
- by Brent Lang and Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
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