Shia LaBeouf has been cast in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis ahead of his trial against FKA Twigs.
The Godfather director has been chasing Megalopolis for years. Billed as a futuristic epic, Coppola is spending more than $100 million of his own money to finance the film.
The dream project has been in development for two decades, but it’s finally set to start shooting this year, with the likes of Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Forest Whitaker, and Laurence Fishburne set to star.
However, Coppola has invited immediate criticism for his latest casting choice: Shia LaBeouf, who’s been engulfed in controversy since FKA Twigs’ lawsuit.
Shia LaBeouf joins Megalopolis as FKA Twigs gets trial date
Production on Megalopolis is expected to kick off in November through March 2023. LaBeouf is one of several stars to join the project, alongside Coppola’s sister and Godfather star Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Grace VanderWaal, Kathryn Hunter, and James Remar, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
The film’s official logline reads: “The fate of Rome haunts a modern world unable to solve its own social problems in this epic story of political ambition, genius, and conflicting interests.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Shia LaBeouf has been cast in Francis Ford Coppola's #Megalopolis (via @THR) pic.twitter.com/VeFS2sBgjl
— ScreenTime (@screentime) August 31, 2022
In December 2020, Twigs – real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett – filed a lawsuit against LaBeouf accusing him of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress after “relentless abuse” during their relationship.
The case is due for trial on April 17, 2023. “The gaslighting has gone on long enough here and it’s time to hold Shia LaBeouf accountable. My client wants a trial date,” her lawyer Bryan Freedman told Rolling Stone.
While appearing on Jon Bernthal’s podcast Real Ones, LaBeouf addressed the allegations, revealing that he considered killing himself.
“I hurt that woman. And in the process of doing that, I hurt many other people, and many other people before that woman. I was a pleasure-seeking, selfish, self-centered, dishonest, inconsiderate, fearful human being,” he said.
Megalopolis doesn’t have a release date at the time of writing.