22 august 2024 : Lionsgate has decided to retract its latest trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious film Megalopolis, which featured numerous fabricated quotes attributed to renowned film critics. The production team has issued an apology for the erroneous attribution of these quotes, as reported by Variety.
Lionsgate expresses regret over fictitious critic quotes
A representative from Lionsgate stated, “We are promptly recalling our trailer for Megalopolis.” The spokesperson continued, “We extend our heartfelt apologies to the critics involved, as well as to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope, for this unacceptable oversight in our review process. We acknowledge our mistake and sincerely apologize.”
Megalopolis trailer showcases false critiques of The Godfather
The trailer, released on Wednesday morning, sought to present Coppola’s new film as a timeless masterpiece, comparable to his earlier works such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. However, the video included several quotes from critics that criticized Coppola’s past films, yet none of these statements could be found in the actual reviews of critics like Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael. Notably, Variety’s Owen Gleiberman was inaccurately cited as having described the 1992 film Bram Stoker’s Dracula as “a beautiful mess” and noted its “absurdity” during his review for Entertainment Weekly at the time of the film’s release.
Film critic condemns fabricated quotes
In response to the misleading quotes, Owen remarked, “Even if one is critical of critics, we certainly do not deserve to have our words misrepresented. The triviality of this situation lies in the fact that the entire Megalopolis trailer is constructed on a false premise. Critics have praised The Godfather, and while Apocalypse Now sparked debate, it garnered significant critical acclaim. As for my supposed description of Bram Stoker’s Dracula as ‘a beautiful mess,’ that is simply inaccurate.” ,’ I only wish I’d said that! Regarding that film, it now sounds kind.”
The sources of most quotes in the trailer are unclear. The only exception is Roger Ebert’s comment, “a triumph of style over substance,” which was taken from his 1989 review of Batman, not about Dracula as the trailer suggests.