Have you ever criticized Francis Ford Coppola’s work? Well, look out, because he definitely has your name written down in a book somewhere. Or does he? Read on to learn more about the Megalopolis trailer that was (then wasn’t) clapping back at critics.
August 21, 2024, 7:49 a.m.: In the trailer for the director’s latest film, Megalopolis — a work that has indeed been criticized by critics — we open not with scenes from the movie being advertised, but with reminders that some people’s opinions look silly in hindsight and out of context. “True genius is often misunderstood,” a voice-over from Laurence Fishburne begins. Then, we’re treated to quotes from contemporaneous reviews of The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Dracula. To add some extra salt, the critics themselves are named personally, though virtually all of them, save for Owen Gleiberman and Rex Reed, have since passed away and can no longer defend themselves. While these pull quotes aren’t exactly glowing, describing Dracula as “a beautiful mess” and “a triumph of style over substance” is not something I — a fan of that movie who is alive today in the context of all that came before me — can disagree with. Then, we finally get to shots of Megalopolis itself, which feels wholly unnecessary. Coppola has made his point. You’re either seeing his movie or you’re a total herb who doesn’t even know about cinema. The END!
August 20, 2024, 5:19 p.m.: It appears many of the quotes attributed to critics in the beginning of this trailer were made-up, lifted from reviews for entirely different movies, or possibly even generated by AI.
Lionsgate has taken down the trailer, and issued an apology to The Hollywood Reporter. “Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis,” they said. “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.” Vulture has reached out to reps for Coppola.
