Was Francis Ford Coppola trying to kiss extras on the Megalopolis set?

Variety reports that The Guardian released a report about the film's production. One area of potential concern was his behavior toward extras.

This all surfaces as his new self-financed movie—decades in the making—has its Cannes premiere in France.

Allegations about Francis Ford Coppola on Megalopolis set 

The report said, “He allegedly pulled women to sit on his lap, for example. And during one bacchanalian nightclub scene being shot for the film, witnesses say, Coppola came on to the set and tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras. He apparently claimed he was ‘trying to get them in the mood.'”

Darren Demetre, the executive co-producer on the film, defended the famed director. He said he kissed some extras on the cheek in a friendly manner. Additionally, nobody came to him saying they were uncomfortable with his behavior.

“I have known and worked with Francis and his family for over 35 years,” Demetre said. “As one of the first assistant directors and an executive producer on his new epic, Megalopolis, I helped oversee and advise the production and ran the second unit. 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.”

The producer added, “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. I was never aware of any complaints of harassment or ill behavior during the course of the project.”

Mike Figgis, a good friend of the director, had some positive things to say about the director.

“Watching an 84-year-old guy hold together that massive team, and to have enough brains to be able to direct the actors, the camera and everything,” Figgis said. “He was up every morning making notes on his way on to the set, or he's discussing his ideas with Roman, his son. And at the end of the day, he's also the producer, so he's thinking about his interest rate.”

However, beyond kisses, some had more negative viewpoints of the filming.

One crew member said, “This sounds crazy to say, but there were times when we were all standing around going: ‘Has this guy ever made a movie before?'”

Also, there were claims that there were no plans in place and the director would sit in his trailer and smoke pot.

We'll see if anything comes of these allegations about Coppola kissing extras and so forth on the set of Megalopolis. For now, there are no lawsuits or any legal issues regarding the matter. For the most part, at this time, it seemed like he was being himself — a legendary director.