Lionsgate apologises after trailer shows manufactured quotes by celebrated film critics supposedly panning Coppola’s earlier films

Lionsgate has withdrawn its trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s self-funded epic Megalopolis after it was criticised for including false and misleading quotes, saying: “We screwed up.”

The video, released on Wednesday, starts by going back in time to show negative quotes from established critics for acclaimed films from Coppola’s past such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. “Genius is often misunderstood,” says the accompanying narration.

Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri pointed out that many of the quotes were manufactured and could not be found in the original reviews.

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“Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for ‘Megalopolis’” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement to Variety. “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.”

  • neuracnu@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    19·
    3 months ago

    Trotting out a bunch of nay-saying critics was already of fairly questionable taste to begin with. Having them be made up is just plain hilarious.

    Also, the narration was pretty odd. I wonder if this was even intended to be released at all.

    • Che Banana@beehaw.orgEnglish
      5·
      3 months ago

      If I know big, personal Hollywood projects, and I’ve seen a few, this is shaping up to be a real turd…

      I hope not…again…but…damn…history

    • viking@infosec.pubEnglish
      13·
      3 months ago

      Giant shitshow, that’s what’s going on. They try desperately to create some sort of publicity, no matter how.

  • Hackworth@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    3 months ago

    Well, it made me go watch the trailer, so mission accomplished, I guess. That VO sounds defensive as hell. “Shut up! He’s a genius!” Dude, I didn’t say anything. So weird.