Lionsgate is recalling its latest trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious film, “Megalopolis,” after it was discovered that the trailer included a series of fabricated quotes attributed to prominent film critics.
In a statement to Variety, a Lionsgate spokesperson said, “Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for ‘Megalopolis.’ We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error in our vetting process. We screwed up. We are sorry.”
The trailer, which was released early Wednesday morning, sought to position Coppola’s new film as a timeless work of art, akin to his acclaimed classics “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now.” However, it included several quotes from critics that were misleading and, in some cases, entirely fictitious. The quotes, attributed to well-known critics like Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael, did not appear in any of their actual reviews.
One notable error involved Variety critic Owen Gleiberman, who was incorrectly cited in the trailer as describing Coppola’s 1992 film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” as “a beautiful mess” and highlighting its “absurdity.” Gleiberman had reviewed the film for Entertainment Weekly at the time. Commenting on the mistake, Gleiberman said, “Even if you’re one of those people who don’t like critics, we hardly deserve to have words put in our mouths. Then again, the trivial scandal of all this is that the whole ‘Megalopolis’ trailer is built on a false narrative. Critics loved ‘The Godfather.’ And though ‘Apocalypse Now’ was divisive, it received a lot of crucial critical support. As far as me calling ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ ‘a beautiful mess,’ I only wish I’d said that! Regarding that film, it now sounds kind.”
The origins of many of the quotes in the trailer remain unclear. For instance, Roger Ebert’s comment about a “triumph of style over substance,” which was featured in the trailer, was actually taken from his 1989 review of “Batman” and not from any review of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” as the trailer implied.
This mishap with the trailer adds to a series of controversies surrounding the $120 million production, which Coppola financed entirely on his own. Last month, Variety reported exclusive footage showing Coppola attempting to kiss young female extras on the set, accompanied by allegations from crew members about his unprofessional behavior during the production.
“Megalopolis” is scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters on September 27.
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