Director Francis Ford Coppola said in an interview released Sunday that he did all he could to mitigate that risk because he didn't want his new film, “Megalopolis,” to be too extreme.

Coppola is one of the most iconic directors in cinematic history, with works like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, and with his latest film, Megalopolis, he's sending out a bold message. According to Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, director Coppola was adamant about avoiding the woke mafia, so he hired “canceled” actor and Republican bigwig Jon Voight.

“What I didn't want was for us to be seen as a woke Hollywood production that was just preaching to the audience. We have people in the cast who were canceled at one point,” Coppola said, apparently. [former President] “Donald Trump,” Rolling Stone says, “there were people who were far-right conservatives, there were people who were extremely politically progressive. But we were all working on one movie together. I thought that was funny.”

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“MegalopolisThe only “canceled” actor I see on “The Force Awakens” is Voight, but has he ever actually been canceled? The only year he appears to have been on the show is Didn't work 2011 is the year he had two TV series in the two years prior to that. To me, that doesn't sound like much of a cancellation. (Related article: Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola explains why he thinks movies aren't as good as they used to be)

Coppola has made some headlines and Late Years While he's never done anything quite like this in his career, it can't be called completely “cancelled,” and this seems like yet another potential attempt to whet moviegoers' appetites into actually seeing the film in theaters.

CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 17, 2024: Jon Voight attends the press conference for 'Megalopolis' ahead of the 77th Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France on May 17, 2024. (Photo by Victor Boyko/Getty Images)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 07: Shia LaBeouf and Francis Ford Coppola on the set of “Megalopolis” on November 7, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)

(From left) Romanian director of photography Mihai Malaimare Jr., American screenwriter Roman Coppola, Cosima Mars, American actress Romy Mars, American singer Grace VanderWaal, American actress Talia Shire, American actor Jon Voight, British actress Nathalie Emmanuel, American actor Giancarlo Esposito, American director Francis Ford Coppola, American actor Laurence Fishburne, American actor Adam Driver and American actress Aubrey Plaza pose during a photocall for the film “Megalopolis” at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 17, 2024. (Photo by Samir Aldumi/AFP) (Photo by Samir Aldumi/AFP via Getty Images)

The story is described as “a Roman epic set in modern-day America,” with Rolling Stone arguing that Voight will play a “Caligula-like character with a striking resemblance to the recent former president,” and that the rest of the story is “an ambitious, broad-brush tale of a dying republic filled with corrupt politicians, club-hopping hedonists, and a blonde Aubrey Plaza.” (Related article: The trailer for “Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story” will definitely make you cry.)

Coppola seems to be betting big on the success of this movie. The storyline, contrasting with his presence, sounds comically ironic. He certainly lives a life most of us can only dream of. I hope Megalopolis is a success for him. But my gut feeling is that this might be one of those movies that would sell better if it was available for streaming…maybe.