Lionsgate has recalled the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s highly anticipated film Megalopolis following revelations that it included fabricated quotes from critics. The studio issued a public apology on Wednesday, acknowledging the misstep and expressing regret for the oversight.
“Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis,” a spokesperson stated. “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 earlier in the day, included quotes attributed to famous critics such as Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert that were not actually from their reviews. For instance, a quote attributed to Kael claimed that The Godfather was “diminished by its artsiness,” despite Kael’s positive review of the film. Similarly, Ebert was inaccurately quoted as saying that Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula was “a triumph of style over substance.” Quotes from critics Rex Reed and Vincent Canby about Apocalypse Now were also fabricated.
The intent behind these misleading quotes was to underscore the critical divisiveness of Coppola’s films, perhaps as a way to generate buzz for Megalopolis, which is a self-financed epic costing $120 million and is scheduled to open in September.
Megalopolis has been in development for decades and garnered mixed reviews at its Cannes Film Festival premiere earlier this year. The film has also faced scrutiny due to leaked videos showing Coppola inappropriately interacting with extras during a club scene. The filmmaker’s representatives have not yet commented on the controversy surrounding these videos.
The film is set for its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month before its theatrical release on September 27.
