Francis Ford Coppola Refused To Make "Megalopolis" Into A "Woke Hollywood Production," Cast Includes "People Who Were Canceled"

Francis Ford Coppola, a legend in the film industry, isn’t one to follow the Hollywood hive mind.

The director recently opened up about his upcoming movie Megalopolis with Rolling Stone, stating he wanted to create a film that wouldn’t be seen as “some woke Hollywood production.” Coppola stuck to his word, bringing on controversial actors like Jon Voight, known for his conservative views and support for Donald Trump. Shia LaBeouf was also cast after being accused of sexual assault by his ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs. 

“What I didn’t want to happen is that we’re deemed some woke Hollywood production that’s simply lecturing viewers,” Coppola said. “The cast features people who were canceled at one point or another. There were people who are archconservatives and others who are extremely politically progressive. But we were all working on one film together. That was interesting, I thought.”

Coppola admitted that working with LaBeouf was tense despite praising him. “Shia [LaBeouf] really took to it,” Coppola said. “I had no experience working with him prior to this, but he deliberately sets up a tension between himself and the director to an extreme degree. He reminds me of Dennis Hopper, who would do something similar, and then you’d say, ‘Just go do anything,’ and then they go off and do something brilliant.”

Coppola's move has received a mix of praise and criticism from viewers. "He’s trying to get conservatives to watch his movie. It probably won’t work," wrote @vancomycin87. With Jon Voight as one of the characters, I think it just might!

"I want Hollywood to stop forcing transgenders down my throat," commented @ElectionLegal.

At a press conference for the film, Coppola was asked why he was "risking" his own money on the movie.

"I don't care," he responded. "I never cared about money. In the end there are so many people when they die they say, 'I wish I had done this. I wish I had done that.' But when I die, I'm gonna say, 'I got to do this. And I got to see my daughter win an Oscar. And I got to make wine. And I got to make every movie I wanted to make.' I'm going to be so busy thinking of all the things I got to do that when I die I won't notice it."

Starring Adam Driver, Megalopolis paints a futuristic New York City reimagined as the "New Rome." The synopsis promises “a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America," following the power struggle between a billionaire who can stop time and a conservative mayor over the city's fate.

Megalopolis is set to be released in theaters on September 27.

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