Gary Oldman did not have a smooth relationship with Francis Ford Coppola despite his wish to work under him.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is hailed as a landmark horror film. It set new standards for the genre and even went on to be the only Dracula movie to win Oscars. Despite everything that was reported to have happened on the set, Gary Oldman’s film started a spree of prestige horror films in Hollywood.
What happened between Gary Oldman and Francis Ford Coppola?
Gary Oldman gave us a very unique portrayal of the vampire, unlike the previous adaptations of Bram Stoker’s novel. The costume designer Eiko Ishioka even created a different look for the vampire to make him distinct from the other versions we were familiar with.
According to Yahoo Entertainment, the role of Dracula was never a “bucket list” role for Gary Oldman. He only wanted to work under Francis Ford Copolla, as the latter is regarded as one of the greatest American filmmakers. However, when he was asked if he would be interested in reprising the role, the JFK actor replied “I never say never”.
Winona Ryder and Francis Ford Coppola had a major issue on the Dracula set
Winona Ryder played the role of Mina Harker in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As per a report by Entertainment Weekly, in a specific scene where Ryder needed to be emotional, Coppola instructed the male actors to hurl insults at her from off-screen.
Nevertheless, Francis Ford Coppola wasted no time to come out and reply that the Stranger Things actress’ story is incomplete. He praised Winona Ryder and added that he instructed Oldman and the other stars to whisper improvised words to make them feel horrific and evil.
In this situation, which I remember clearly, I instructed Gary Oldman—in character as Dracula—to whisper improvised words to her and the other characters, making them as horrific and evil as he could. I don’t know what was said, but improvisation is a common filmmaking practice.
Fortunately, the situation did not turn any nastier as a spokesperson of Ryder corroborated Coppola’s statement and claimed that although the technique did not help the actress, she had nothing but respect for the veteran director.
While the entire film fraternity was excited to see what Francis Ford Coppola delivers in his latest Megalopolis, it did not turn out very pleasant. After the film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, it generated a highly polarizing reaction from the critics.
