Lionsgate is pulling back the latest trailer for epic film Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which featured numerous made-up quotes from well-known critics. Variety revealed that the producers had apologized for misquoting movie critics in the trailer. See also: Megalopolis trailer, in which Francis Ford Coppola criticizes The Godfather’s detractors and casts Adam Driver in a utopian role. Observe)
Lionsgate apologises for made-up-critic quotes
A Lionsgate representative sent a statement to Variety stating, “Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis.” The spokesman was cited as saying, “We sincerely apologize to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope as well as the critics who were impacted by this unacceptable mistake in our screening procedure. We made a mistake. We apologize.
Megalopolis trailer depicts made-up-critique of The Godfather
The goal of the trailer, which was unveiled on Wednesday morning, was to present Coppola’s most recent movie as an enduring piece of art in the vein of his two greatest films, Apocalypse Now and The Godfather. The video featured numerous criticism quotes critics like Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael used to attack Coppola’s earlier work, but none of the quotes could be found in any of their reviews.
When Variety’s Owen Gleiberman reviewed Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992 for Entertainment Weekly—where he was employed at the time of the movie’s premiere—he was misquoted as calling it “a beautiful mess” and emphasizing its “absurdity.”
Film critic slams falsified quotes
Owen responded to the fabricated quotes by saying, “We hardly deserve to have words put in our mouths, even if you’re one of those people who doesn’t like critics.” However, the insignificant controversy surrounding all of this is that the Megalopolis trailer is based entirely on a lie. The Godfather was praised by critics. Even though Apocalypse Now caused controversy, it garnered a great deal of important critical support. Regarding my characterization of Bram Stoker’s Dracula as “a beautiful mess,” I only wish I had! Now that movie is mentioned, it sounds reasonable.
The majority of the quotes in the trailer have ambiguous sources. The sole deviation is the statement made by Roger Ebert, “a triumph of style over substance,” which was derived from his 1989 Batman review and has nothing to do with Dracula as the trailer implies.
The US premiere of Megalopolis is scheduled for September 27, 2024.
