The highly anticipated trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming film, Megalopolis, has been pulled by Lionsgate after it was revealed that the clip featured fabricated quotes from real film critics about the legendary filmmaker’s previous works.
The studio, responsible for distributing the film in the US, issued an apology to both the critics and Mr. Coppola for the “inexcusable error in our vetting process.” “We screwed up,” Lionsgate stated in a press release on Wednesday.
Megalopolis, which was self-funded by Mr. Coppola, received mixed reviews at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The now-withdrawn trailer may have been an attempt to play off the lukewarm reception by showcasing negative reviews of Coppola’s past films. The spot included quotes from critics like Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert that were completely fabricated.
The trailer, which garnered over 1.3 million views on the day it was released online, featured stars such as Adam Driver, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, and Nathalie Emmanuel. The epic fantasy film reportedly cost Mr. Coppola a staggering $120 million.
Despite the controversy surrounding the trailer, Megalopolis is still set to hit US theaters on September 27th. However, the production faced another scandal in May when footage surfaced of Mr. Coppola allegedly behaving inappropriately towards female extras on set.
Mr. Coppola denied the allegations, stating in an interview with the New York Times, “I’m not touchy-feely. I’m too shy.” The acclaimed director continues to stand by his work and is looking forward to the release of Megalopolis, despite the setbacks.
