"Disappointing Developments!" The film corporation erases the preview for "Megalopolis".
In the promotional material for the upcoming Coppola film "Megalopolis", it seems that fabricated critic quotes were featured. As a result, Lionsgate, the film's distributor, has taken down the trailer and issued an apology, calling it an "egregious oversight".
Not long after its unveiling, the trailer for "Megalopolis" has been taken down by Lionsgate. The reasoning behind this, as reported by various media sources, is the incorporation of fabricated critic reviews in the promo clip. In a statement obtained by "Variety", Lionsgate expressed regret, stating, "We deeply regret the mistake in our review process, and we sincerely apologize to the film critics and Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error."
According to "Variety", the trailer, released on a Wednesday, showcased scathing criticisms of classic films directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It appears Lionsgate utilized these criticisms to illustrate how these films attained classic status despite initial negative reviews, presumably hoping to replicate the same trajectory for "Megalopolis".
The late critic Pauline Kael, for instance, was depicted as criticizing "The Godfather" due to its excessively artistic aspirations. Similarly, Andrew Sarris was presented as labeling "The Godfather" as a "sloppy", "self-indulgent" film. Other critics' quotes were also reportedly manipulated. Moreover, Roger Ebert's comment, "A triumph of style over substance," was misattributed to the incorrect film. The original source for that quote was Ebert's review of "Batman" (1989), not Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992).
Misquoted critic's response
"Even for those who aren't fond of critics, we shouldn't have our words twisted like this," the misquoted film critic Owen Gleiberman said in the "Variety" article, emphasizing that he never called "Bram Stoker's Dracula" a "chaotic masterpiece". Gleiberman also cast doubt on Lionsgate's marketing strategy of incorporating supposedly negative reviews from previous Coppola films. In his recollection, film critics were generally supportive of "The Godfather" in 1972.
Cinema enthusiasts can develop their opinions on "Megalopolis" on September 26th. The film is set to hit American theaters on September 27th. In this science fiction phenomenon, Adam Driver plays the protagonist Cesar Catilina, aiming to rebuild the city of New Rome according to his own vision. Other notable cast members include actors such as Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Shia LaBeouf.
The promotional material for "Megalopolis" featured fabricated critic quotes, leading Lionsgate to take down the trailer. Despite their apology, the misuse of critic reviews has raised concerns among film critics, such as Owen Gleiberman who stated that his words were twisted in the trailer.
