Dennis Hopper is tied to some of the wildest behind-the-scenes stories in Hollywood history, not the least of which stem from Apocalypse Now, with tales ranging from nearly getting into fistfights with Marlon Brando to requesting to be paid in cocaine rather than money. So when Francis Ford Coppola compares Shia LaBeouf’s on-set behavior on Megalopolis to that of Hopper’s on Apocalypse Now, it doesn’t exactly feel like a compliment. Only, surprisingly, Coppola means no disrespect.
In promotion of Megalopolis – which, like it or not (read our 5/10 review here), is hitting screens later this month – Francis Ford Coppola told The Telegraph that Shia LaBeouf reminded him of Dennis Hopper to a degree with the sort of vibe he brought with him. “Shia has had problems. He’s so talented, but he’s had a string of problems. And on set, he does create tremendous conflict. His method was so infuriating and illogical, it had me pulling my hair out. But I think he’s getting the set so charged with electricity that his reactions will have the ring of pure truth. Dennis Hopper did something similar on Apocalypse Now. He would be so nutty that even Brando wanted to throw bananas at him.”
While Coppola didn’t go into exactly what that “conflict” is that Shia LaBeouf brought to Megalopolis every day, we can totally buy it considering the actor’s past issues both on and off the set. Without going into details (the paper bag on the head was probably the least controversial at this point), Coppola clearly knew what he was getting into. But Coppola went all-in for Megalopolis, purposely hiring so-called “canceled” actors like LaBeouf, Jon Voight and, to a lesser degree, Dustin Hoffman.
Actual stories about what Coppola is referring to with LaBeouf may come out at some point, but in the meantime, Megalopolis has more than enough working against it as it is: allegations of sexual misconduct, rumors of an overblown budget, fabricated pull quotes…And that’s all after everything Coppola went through to get the movie greenlit!
Despite the negative press surrounding Megalopolis, will you be seeing it in theaters?