Lionsgate has decided to pull the newly released trailer for Megalopolis , directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola, following the discovery that several critic quotes featured in the trailer were fabricated. The quotes, which were highlighted prominently, appeared to reference earlier criticisms of Coppola’s acclaimed works, including The Godfather and Apocalypse Now . However, investigations by Vulture and other media outlets revealed that these quotes were entirely fictitious.
“Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis ,” a studio 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.” Utopia awaits. MEGALOPOLIS – trailer tomorrow.
pic.twitter.com/egyXf5zQqe The fabricated quotes attributed to well-known critics like Pauline Kael of The New Yorker and Andrew Sarris of Village Voice suggested that while Coppola’s films were initially divisive, they later achieved classic status.
For example, Kael was falsely quoted as describing The Godfather as “diminished by its artsiness,” while Sarris allegedly called it a “sloppy self-indulgent movie.” Other critics supposedly quoted in the trailer included Roger Ebert, Vincent Canby, John Simon, Stanley Kauffmann, and Rex Reed. The misleading messaging seemed intended to frame Megalopolis , which had a polarizing reception at its Cannes .