The legendary director behind The Godfather and Apocalypse Now has worked with some of the most difficult actors in Hollywood history. Marlon Brando showed up overweight and unprepared. Dennis Hopper asked to be paid in cocaine. But none of them compare to Shia LaBeouf. Francis Ford Coppola now calls LaBeouf the most challenging actor he has ever directed. The proof is all in a new documentary called Megadoc, which captures every tense moment between the two men during the making of Coppola’s passion project Megalopolis.
Megadoc, directed by Mike Figgis (famous for Leaving Las Vegas), is now streaming on the Criterion Channel. The documentary takes viewers behind the scenes of Megalopolis, the 2024 sci-fi epic that Coppola financed by selling part of his winery. The film cost around $136 million but earned only $7.6 million at the US box office. Critics were not kind. But the real story is what happened behind the camera.
What Megadoc Reveals About the Coppola and LaBeouf Conflict
The documentary shows multiple arguments between Coppola and LaBeouf during rehearsals and filming. LaBeouf, who plays Clodio Pulcher (the jealous cousin of Adam Driver character Cesar Catilina), constantly pushed back against the director instructions. He wanted to be looser. He wanted to improvise. He kept suggesting new blocking and new dialogue.
Coppola did not appreciate the help. At one point, the 86 year old director lost his temper and told LaBeouf straight:
“Shia, you’re full of s—. I’m not going to talk to you. You are wrong. I’ve been doing this for 50 years.”
The argument got so heated that people on set could hear both men yelling at each other. Coppola eventually started hiding in his editing bay, a trailer he called the Silverfish, just to get away from LaBeouf.
The actor later admitted he was constantly worried about getting fired. He told co-star Jon Voight:
“I’m worried about getting fired all the time. I’m serious. Every day, I think I’m out of here.”
‘You Are the Biggest Pain in My Ass’
The most brutal exchange came near the end of production. LaBeouf recalls in the documentary that Coppola told him he had one regret about the entire Megalopolis project.
“I said, ‘OK, what’s the one regret?’ He says, ‘You.’”
Coppola then told LaBeouf he was “the biggest pain in my f—ing ass of any actor I’ve ever worked with.”
LaBeouf fired back by bringing up Marlon Brando antics on Apocalypse Now. He asked Coppola if he showed up hundreds of pounds overweight or walked off set for days at a time. The answer was no. But Coppola held his ground.
After that fight, Coppola sent LaBeouf an apology email. He blamed the outburst on production stress. But the tension never fully went away.
Coppola Defends His Decision to Cast LaBeouf
Despite the blowups, Coppola has publicly stood by LaBeouf talent. In a 2024 interview with The Telegraph, the director explained why he kept the actor in the film.
“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.”
Coppola compared LaBeouf approach to Dennis Hopper on Apocalypse Now. Hopper was famously erratic during filming. He nearly got into fistfights with Brando. But Coppola believes that chaos serves a purpose.
“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.”
The director also said that art is above politics when asked about LaBeouf past legal problems. LaBeouf faced allegations from ex girlfriend FKA Twigs, who dropped her lawsuit in July 2025 after five years. Coppola told The Telegraph:
“Art is chaotic. When it’s efficient, something’s going wrong.”
LaBeouf and Jon Voight Buried a Years Long Feud on Set
The documentary also shows LaBeouf repairing another broken relationship. He and Jon Voight had been close friends after working together on Holes (2003) and Transformers (2007). But politics drove them apart.
LaBeouf reveals in Megadoc that he and Voight had “very different politics” and got into a “big fight” over the subject. They did not speak for years.
When LaBeouf joined Megalopolis, he knew Voight was also in the cast. He was working a 12 step program at the time and needed to make amends.
“I was in the midst of doing my ninth step in this program I’m in, and I had to go make amends to Voight because Voight’s politics and mine are very different. I love him very much.”
The two actors mended their friendship on set. LaBeouf even joked that they almost got into a physical fight before making up.
LaBeouf Performance Divided Critics and Fans
Despite all the drama, Coppola admits that LaBeouf gave a memorable performance. The director told Figgis in the documentary:
“He drove me nuts, but his performance is great – and I’ll say it’s great.”
LaBeouf speaks in a stilted, artificial manner throughout Megalopolis. In Coppola strange world, that choice fits perfectly. Some fans on social media have praised the actor commitment. Others say the documentary made them lose respect for him.
One user on IMDb wrote after watching Megadoc:
“Shia LeBeouf is just a jerk. All his neurosis, his narcissism and choices were selfish, poorly conceived and ridiculous. He created fights that were superficial. His ego and insecurity were on full display.”
Another fan defended the actor, saying the documentary shows an artist trying to do his best work under a difficult director.
Also Read:
Where to Watch Megadoc and Megalopolis
Megadoc is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel. The documentary premiered at the Venice Film Festival before landing on the platform. It runs just over 90 minutes and features raw footage from rehearsals, table reads, and candid interviews with cast members including Aubrey Plaza, Dustin Hoffman, Giancarlo Esposito, and Nathalie Emmanuel.
Megalopolis is available for digital purchase or rental on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube Movies. The film also streams on Hulu in the United States as of June 2026.
Also Read: 10 Period Dramas to Watch if You Loved The Other Bennet Sister on BritBox
Stay connected with VvipTimes for more behind the scenes stories and Hollywood drama updates.
