Why Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ Trailer Is Causing A Stir

Lionsgate yanked the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious sci-fi Megalopolis from circulation this week after it was revealed that included quotations from several prominent movie critics that turned out to be fabricated.

The two-and-a-half-minute trailer, released online on Wednesday, began with skin-peeling critiques of The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Fabricated Quotes aAnd Apologies

True genius is often misunderstood,” says a narrator at the beginning of the trailer, before informing us that Coppola ‘was ahead of his time’ right from the start.

The trailer then weaves in footage of supposedly panning reviews written by such famous (and fictitious) critics as Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, and Roger Ebert. Kael is quoted as saying The Godfather, Coppola’s best picture-winning crime drama, was ‘diminished by its artsiness’.

But it didn’t take social media long to observe that none of these quotes appeared in any of the actual reviews.

The next day, Lionsgate released this statement to USA TODAY: “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,” the spokesperson said. “We screwed up. We are sorry.” As of now, the trailer has been removed from Lionsgate’s official YouTube channel.

Mixed Reactions And Controversy

While its cast boasted such Hollywood stars as Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, and Dustin Hoffman, press reaction after its May premiere at the Cannes Film Festival was polarised. While some praised the film’s ambition, others described it as “absolute madness.”

The trailer sparked debate among viewers, particularly over the use of fabricated quotes. On social media, users questioned the authenticity of the quotes. For instance, one user on X (formerly Twitter), @Carzonfye, remarked, “Did they just straight up fabricate that Pauline Kael quote? I’m reading her review, and I don’t see it. Also, she loved the movie lol.”

New York Times columnist Kyle Buchanan also commented on X, suggesting that the fake quotes may have originated from an erroneous ChatGPT response.

Another user, @SohamGadre, criticized the marketing strategy, noting, “It seems like the movie’s marketing is very directed at ‘online critics’ because those are the only people who are going to actually go see it.”

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Reactions To The Trailer’s Defiant Tone

However, some praised the trailer’s defiant tone. User @parker_gibbons noted, “The BALLS on Coppola to open the new Megalopolis trailer like a diss track about people calling him a failure.”

Another user, @craigcalcaterra, wrote, “Coppola making the latest Megalopolis trailer mostly about telling his haters to suck it is proof positive that time has not passed him by.”

Others found the trailer’s approach intriguing. “This Megalopolis trailer is breathtakingly tacky, vindictive, bitter, ridiculous, and unhinged—and I like it!” commented user @fuzzyyarns. “Hollywood marketing is so calculated, clinical, and antiseptic.”

Megalopolis is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 27.

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