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After distributor Lionsgate got exposed for using fake negative reviews of Francis Ford Coppola's movies in the Megalopolis trailer, they apologized. The studio recognized the big mistake that they made.
On August 21, Lionsgate dropped the second trailer for Megalopolis. It featured quotes from reviews of Coppola's previous movies, The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker's Dracula. However, it was quickly revealed that the quotes were not real. Lionsgate subsequently pulled the trailer and apologized in a statement.
“Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis,” Lionsgate told Variety in a statement. “We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola Zoetrope for this inexcusable error in our vetting process. We screwed up. We are sorry.”
The usage of quotes in the Megalopolis trailer was intended to show the misunderstood genius of Coppola. Legendary film critics such as Robert Ebert and Pauline Kael were quoted. Owen Gleiberman of Variety was also wrongly cited for calling Bram Stoker's Dracula “a beautiful mess.” However, Gleiberman did not review it for Variety, as he wrote it for Entertainment Weekly at that time.
Where the fabricated is unclear. As Variety notes, the Ebert comment — which was attributed to Bram Stoker's Dracula — is from his review of Batman.
Megalopolis has been a mess. Coppola financed the movie himself, though Variety previously reported the director inappropriately trying to kiss female extras. With its theatrical release coming in just over a month, we will see what Lionsgate pulls out to promote the project instead of the fabricated quotes.
A critic speaks out
One of the misquoted critics, Owen Gleiberman, spoke out in Variety's report. Gleiberman did not appreciate the words being put in his mouth, even calling the “beautiful mess” line “kind” in comparison to his thoughts.
“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,” said Gleiberman. “Critics loved The Godfather. And though Apocalypse Now was divisive, it received a lot of crucial critical support.
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“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,” Gleiberman added.
What is Megalopolis?
Megalopolis is the first movie from Francis Ford Coppola since 2011's Twixt. It follows architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a visionary clashing with Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). They have opposing views as to how to rebuild New Rome after a disaster hits. Stuck between them is Cesar's love interest and the Mayor's daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel).
The ensemble is loaded with stars. Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Chloe Fineman, and Dustin Hoffman are also in the movie.
Megalopolis had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes International Film Festival. It premiered in competition before Lionsgate acquired the domestic distribution rights the following month. They will release Coppola's movie on September 27, 2024.
