Francis Ford Coppola is back again in business with his new sci-fi Megalopolis. It is one of his dream projects that took years to make. Adam Driver will be leading the cast with actors like Giancarlo Esposito and Nathalie Emmanuel among others.
Production houses and distributors, and sometimes even actors and directors, go a long way to promote their movies. But in Megalopolis‘ case, it seems like it has backfired badly.
Fake Critical Quotes by Lionsgate for Megalopolis
As soon as Megalopolis‘ first trailer dropped, viewers realized that something was wrong. At the beginning of the trailer, some popular critics’ quotes could be seen, but the problem was that all of them were bashing Francis Ford Coppola‘s previous films.
According to Vulture, the trailer showed that Pauline Kael criticized The Godfather, saying that it is “diminished by its artsiness,” and Andrew Sarris said it was “a sloppy, self-indulgent movie.” The noticeable thing here is that none of the quotes were true. In fact, Kael has rather appreciated The Godfather and The Godfather Part II in her critiques.
Likewise, many other critics were also named in the same way. Apocalypse Now is another brilliant film by Coppola, but the trailer showed that Vincent Canby said it was “hollow at the core”. When the backlash started getting larger, Lionsgate removed the trailer.
However, many people believe that this may be done with the purpose of being in the limelight as much as possible for their movie. Some netizens agree that if Lionsgate did it deliberately, they got what they desired.
The MEGALOPOLIS trailer is doing EXACTLY what Lionsgate wanted it to do. Generating conversation. Brilliant marketing ploy if you ask me.
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) August 21, 2024
That makes me like it even more 😂
— Stormweather (@markstormweathr) August 21, 2024
Here’s how Lionsgate turns this #Megalopolis trailer fiasco to their advantage
— Physical Media (@PhysicalMedia_) August 22, 2024
Get Francis Ford Coppola to read early audience reactions intercut with lines from the film used as reactions to the feedback.
The art of deception
— Ray Ryan (@__RayRyan) August 21, 2024
it gets even better
— Craig (@CS11__) August 21, 2024
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Megalopolis was welcomed by a 10-minute standing ovation from the audience when it was screened at Cannes in May 2024, but the critics’ reviews were mixed.
This also might be one of the reasons that made Lionsgate come up with the trailer in that manner. But as of now, the studio’s PR representative apologized to the critics, to American Zoetrope, and to Coppola for the misleading trailer.
Francis Ford Coppola’s On-Set Drama
It seems like all the initial hype for Megalopolis will be made by controversies mostly. According to Variety, Coppola was apparently kissing female extras on the set without their consent.
One of those extras was Lauren Pagone, who has offered her side of the story. In a conversation with Variety, she revealed that in one of the scenes shot at a nightclub, Coppola approached her improperly.
I was in shock. I didn’t expect him to kiss and hug me like that. I was caught off guard. And I can tell you he came around a couple times.
The whole situation was further complicated when another extra who goes by the name Rayna Menz went to Deadline to defend Coppola, stating that the director did not do anything which could have made anyone feel uneasy that day on set.
Some sources told Variety that Coppola had the freedom to do anything on set because he was handling the entire budget of the film. And since there was no studio to regulate production, there was no high authority to complain to.
However, these are all allegations until proven. But one thing is for sure, with all this headline-worthy news, Megalopolis has probably gained more than expected eyes even before its release.
Megalopolis will be released in theaters on September 27, 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What was wrong with the Megalopolis trailer Lionsgate released?
The trailer opened with negative critic quotes about Francis Ford Coppola’s earlier classics, but the quotes were fabricated and never appeared in those critics’ actual reviews. Per the article, it showed Pauline Kael supposedly calling The Godfather “diminished by its artsiness,” Andrew Sarris calling it “a sloppy, self-indulgent movie,” and Vincent Canby calling Apocalypse Now “hollow at the core” — none of which those critics genuinely wrote. Once the internet exposed the quotes as fake, Lionsgate pulled the trailer and admitted it “screwed up.”
Did Lionsgate make the fake-quotes trailer on purpose as a marketing ploy?
The article reports this is unconfirmed speculation. Several commentators, including Jeff Sneider, suggested Lionsgate may have done it deliberately to spark conversation and publicity. However, the studio’s PR representative ultimately apologized to the critics, to American Zoetrope, and to Coppola, framing the misleading quotes as a mistake in its vetting process rather than an admitted strategy.
When was Megalopolis released and who stars in it?
According to the article, Megalopolis was set to release in theaters on September 27, 2024. The Francis Ford Coppola sci-fi film, a long-gestating dream project, is led by Adam Driver, with a cast that also includes Giancarlo Esposito and Nathalie Emmanuel. The article notes it premiered at Cannes in May 2024 to a reported standing ovation (accounts varied from about 7 to 10 minutes), though critic reviews were mixed.
