Lionsgate has apologized and pulled the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming film "Megalopolis" after it was discovered that the critic quotes used were fabricated. The trailer featured quotes from critics reviewing Coppola's other films that did not actually appear in their reviews.
Lionsgate has issued an apology and pulled the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming film "Megalopolis" after it came to light that the critics' quotes used were fabricated.
"Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for ‘Megalopolis,’" a Lionsgate spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "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."
Lionsgate Apologizes and Pulls Trailer for 'Megalopolis' After Fabricated Critic Quotes
The trailer, released Wednesday, included quotes from critics like Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert of other Coppola films that did not actually appear in their reviews. The intent, it seems, was to highlight the critical divisiveness of now-classics like "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now," leaning into some of the more negative reactions to "Megalopolis," the self-financed $120 million epic opening in September.
The trailer attributed a quote to Kael that "The Godfather" was "diminished by its artsiness." But Kael loved "The Godfather," and this phrase was not used in her March 1972 review of the film for The New Yorker. Ebert also did not write that Coppola’s "Bram Stoker’s Dracula" was "a triumph of style over substance." Quotes from Rex Reed and Vincent Canby, about "Apocalypse Now," did not appear in their reviews either.
Lionsgate Apologizes and Pulls Trailer for 'Megalopolis' After Fabricated Critic Quotes
The fabrication of the critic quotes is a major embarrassment for Lionsgate and Coppola, who have been promoting "Megalopolis" as a return to form for the legendary director. The film is Coppola's first since "Twixt" in 2011, and it is his most ambitious project in decades.
"Megalopolis" has already been plagued with controversy. Coppola was accused of "old school" behavior towards women on set in a report published by The Guardian in May. The director allegedly pulled women into sitting on his lap, one source told the outlet. While filming a nightclub scene, Coppola reportedly attempted to kiss female extras who were topless or scantily clad.
Lionsgate Apologizes and Pulls Trailer for 'Megalopolis' After Fabricated Critic Quotes
He claimed he was "trying to get them in the mood," according to the outlet.
A representative for Coppola did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment at the time.
Despite the controversies, Lionsgate and Coppola are hoping that "Megalopolis" will be a critical and commercial success. The film stars Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Shia LaBeouf.
It is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 27.
