Megalopolis Director Francis Ford Coppola is suing Variety for $15 million over the outlet’s coverage of allegations against the director for misconduct. Coppola’s upcoming Megalopolis Movie stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina, an architect in a futuristic New York City-like place called New Rome, who intends to rebuild the city after an accident destroys it. With mixed reviews despite being an idea of ​​the director since 1977, the movie was also hurt by allegations against Coppola for misconduct on set with young actresses.
now, Associated Press reports that Coppola is seeking $15 million in emotional and reputational damages from Variety for a story published on July 26, saying that the director tried to kiss and touch young female extras without their consent on the set of Megalopolis. The attack named reporters Bret Lang and Tatiana Siegel as defendants, claiming that the contributors accused the director of misconduct that never happened. Part of the lawsuit reads:
[W]Writers and editors, hiding behind supposedly anonymous sources, accused Coppola of manifest incompetence as a motion picture director, of unprofessional behavior on the set of his latest production, Megalopolis, of setting up a type of scheme so that anyone on the set who Has a complaint of harassment or otherwise had no place to file a complaint, and of embracing topless actresses on the set. Each of these allegations is false.
Coppola also commented on the allegations against him on Thursday, call it “False, reckless and irresponsible reporting.“ The reporting came from anonymous sources, but also included two videos that allegedly support the claims. One shows Coppola in a white suit walking into a group of women to hug, whisper to, or kiss them on the cheek, while another shows a woman backing away from him after he leaned in. A statement was also issued to People Through the representatives of the director, denying the allegations of Variety:
Nothing in my 60+ year career could equal the painstakingly difficult, yet artistically triumphant journey of bringing Megalopolis to the screen. It was a collaboration of hundreds of artists, from extras to box office stars, to whom I consistently showed the highest respect and my deepest gratitude.
To see our collective efforts tainted by false, reckless and irresponsible reporting is devastating. No publication, especially a legacy industry outlet, should be enabled to use surreptitious video and anonymous sources in pursuit of their own financial gain. Although I have no intention of litigating this in the media, I will vigorously defend my reputation and trust the courts to hold them accountable.
Verity spokesperson Jeffrey Schneider told AP that, Although the legal situation could not be commented on, “We stand by our reporters.“ The lawsuit also briefly mentions extra actor Lauren Pagone, who came out publicly and spoke to Variety about Coppola hugging, kissing and touching her on set without her consent. It was another extra, Rayna Menz, publicly speaking to Deadline, claiming that the director did not make anyone uncomfortable on the set. While Coppola was asked by AP for a direct comment on the lawsuit itself, his representatives denied the request.
What Coppola’s process means for Variety and Megalopolis
The legal battle could affect the report of Varieties
Coppola’s lawsuit against Variety is just one big part of the big controversy surrounding his upcoming film, which holds a 54% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 71 reviews. In August there was a Megalopolis Fake review quote controversy, with Its second trailer uses quotes crucially from Coppola’s previous movies, only for the quotes to be revealed as falsified. This was seemingly in response to many negative reviews coming from its premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, which drew more controversy to the movie as a whole.
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While mixed reviews for Megalopolis And misquotes are about the movie itself, Coppola’s misconduct lawsuit could have implications for Variety’s story, which remains public as of writing. With the process just moving forward, It is impossible to say what this means for the publication and their coverage of the allegations against the director. Given the inclusion of video descriptions of what could be considered misconduct, it seems that the legal battle will have an impact on the last days of Coppola’s film career.
Our take on Coppola’s lawsuit against Variety
The Megalopolis controversy is coming to a head
Coppola’s trial is the biggest event to happen in the many controversies surrounding Megalopolis until now, Seems to bring the negativity surrounding the movie to a head. Although it is impossible to predict what this means for his success at the box office, the negative reception of the film so far along with constant controversies make it seem like a sad end to the director’s decorated career. However, with the seriousness of his misconduct allegations still lingering, Variety’s legal battle will likely bring stronger evidence to light about what happened on set.