Lionsgate recently faced significant backlash after releasing a trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s highly anticipated film Megalopolis. The controversy arose when it was discovered that the trailer featured fabricated quotes from well-known film critics, including Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael. These quotes were misleadingly attributed to these critics as if they were reviewing Coppola’s earlier works, such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, but they were either entirely made up or taken out of context from different reviews.
Lionsgate has retracted the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s highly anticipated film Megalopolis after facing criticism for featuring fabricated and misleading quotes attributed to renowned film critics. The trailer, which was released on Wednesday, aimed to highlight the misunderstood genius of Coppola by showcasing negative quotes from reviews of his previous works, such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. However, many of these quotes were found to be manufactured and not present in the original reviews.
Lionsgate recalls and apologizes for ‘Megalopolis’ trailer for fabricated quotes https://t.co/FMJLCiuERy
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 22, 2024
For instance, Bilge Ebiri from Vulture pointed out that the quote attributed to Pauline Kael of The New Yorker—”diminished by its artsiness” in reference to The Godfather—was nowhere to be found in her glowing reviews of the films. Similarly, the quote attributed to Andrew Sarris of The Village Voice—”a sloppy, self-indulgent movie”—was not in his review of The Godfather. Even Rex Reed’s alleged comment on Apocalypse Now—“an epic piece of trash”—was found to be nonexistent.
In response to the backlash, a spokesperson for Lionsgate issued a public apology, stating, “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 also misquoted other critics, including the late Roger Ebert, who was inaccurately cited as saying that Coppola’s 1992 film Bram Stoker’s Dracula was “a triumph of style over substance,” despite his positive review of the movie. Additionally, Owen Gleiberman of Variety was misquoted in the trailer, prompting him to respond, “Even if you’re one of those people who don’t like critics, we hardly deserve to have words put in our mouths.”
Megalopolis premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it received mixed reviews. The film, described as “a Roman epic set in modern America” and starring Adam Driver, is reportedly Coppola’s passion project, costing him around $120 million to produce. Lionsgate has acquired the film for U.S. distribution, with a release planned for September.
While the marketing tactic of challenging critics might seem daring, Ebiri cautions that Megalopolis will likely need critics’ support once it is released. “Making up fake quotes from our heroes is probably not the best way to get us on your side,” he writes.
Lionsgate Recalls Trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis After Fabricated Quotes#Movies #latestnews #TheGuardian #ABCNews #PANORA https://t.co/tyB5lOKZPR
— PANORA HQ (@PanoraApp) August 22, 2024
Adding to the controversy, recent footage surfaced showing Coppola attempting to kiss female extras on the film’s set, raising further concerns about unprofessional behavior during production.
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Upon realizing the mistake, Lionsgate quickly pulled the trailer from circulation and issued an apology, acknowledging the error in their vetting process. A representative from Lionsgate stated, “We screwed up. We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error.”
This incident has added to the controversies surrounding Megalopolis, which has already been under scrutiny due to its significant budget and Coppola’s unconventional approach to its production. Despite these challenges, the film is still slated for release in U.S. theaters on September 27, 2024 (Bollywood Hungama) (The Express Tribune).
Key Points:
- Lionsgate retracted the Megalopolis trailer after using fabricated quotes from film critics.
- Misleading quotes were attributed to critics like Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, Rex Reed, and Roger Ebert.
- Lionsgate issued a public apology for the error in their vetting process.
- Megalopolis premiered at Cannes to mixed reviews and is set for a September release.
- Additional controversy arose with footage of Coppola behaving unprofessionally on set.
Lap Fu Ip – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News