Summary
Lionsgate has pulled the second trailer forMegalopolisafter it was discovered that the review quotes featured in it had been fabricated, sparking a massive controversy. Thanks to its unique self-funded production, all kinds of behind-the-scenes drama, and early reviews promising a truly baffling moviegoing experience,Megalopolisis already one of the most talked-about movies of the year. Francis Ford Coppola covered the movie’s nine-figure budget out of his own pocket to finally bring his long-gestating passion project to life, but the initial reactions have suggested it’s not the game-changing masterpiece he set out to create.
Due to its unusual independent production and its unabashedly weird tone,Megalopolisinitially struggled to secure a distribution deal. Coppola screened it for various studios and investors, but most of them got cold feet after watching what promises to be the wildest film of 2024.Megalopolishas since landed a distribution deal with Lionsgate, but the studio is struggling to market a movie that’s been fraught with every problem imaginable, from allegations of inappropriate on-set behavior to negative reviews from critics. The studio tried to incorporate the latter into the film’s tongue-in-cheek second trailer, but it backfired spectacularly.
Megalopolis' Second Trailer Used Fake Review Quotes About Past Francis Ford Coppola Movies
The idea behind the trailer was pretty good; the execution, not so much
The second trailer forMegalopolisopens with negative review quotes about Coppola’s past classics –The Godfather,Apocalypse Now, andBram Stoker’s Dracula– to show that they, too, were poorly received by critics and ended up being regarded as three of the greatest movies ever made. In theory, that’s a novel idea. Rather than trying to ignore the negative critical reception ofMegalopolis, the trailer embraces it and demonstrates that the critics aren’t always right – especially when it comes to Coppola. It encourages viewers to ignorethe reviews forMegalopolisand make up their own minds when it comes out.
But while the idea is good, the execution leaves a lot to be desired.Within hours of the trailer being posted, it was discovered that the review quotes had been fabricated(viaVulture). Pauline Kael ofThe New Yorkerdid not write thatThe Godfatherwas “diminished by its artsiness.” Andrew Sarris ofThe Village Voicedid not, in fact, call it “a sloppy, self-indulgent movie” that “doesn’t know what it wants to be.” Vincent Canby ofThe New York Timesdidn’t describeApocalypse Nowas “hollow at its core.”
They’re all real critics who really reviewed the films for their respective publications– this isn’t a David Manning situation – butthe quotes cited in theMegalopolistrailer are nowhere to be seen in their writings. It was a baffling choice to go ahead with this marketing campaign, because it’s easily verifiable. Most of those reviews are readily available in their original form, with the actual words that the critics actually wrote. The internet picked up on the fakery within a couple of hours of the trailer appearing online.
Lionsgate Pulled The New Megalopolis Trailer After The Fake Review Quotes Were Discovered
“We screwed up”
As soon astheMegalopolistrailer quotes were revealed to be fake,Lionsgate removed the trailer from its online outlets and released a statement of apology(viaVariety). The studio apologized to the critics who were falsely quoted in the trailer and blamed an “inexcusable error in our vetting process.” Lionsgate ended its statement bluntly: “We screwed up. We are sorry.” Someone somewhere is responsible for fabricating the quotes, but Lionsgate has yet to identify the culprit. Between theMegalopolistrailer controversy and the critical and commercial failure ofBorderlands, Lionsgate isn’t having a great month so far.
Megalopolisis set to be released in U.S. theaters on July 17, 2025.
How The Critics Referenced In Megalopolis' Trailer Actually Reviewed The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, & Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Most of the critics cited in the trailer actually gave the films positive reviews
A lot of the critics cited in theMegalopolistrailer actually wrote positive reviews for Coppola’s movies.The New Yorker’s Pauline Kael didn’t panThe Godfather; she deemed it to be “a great example of how the best popular movies come out of a merger of commerce and art,” a quote that’s frequently used in academic discussions of the film. Owen Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weeklydidn’t callBram Stoker’s Dracula“a beautiful mess,” which sounds more mixed than negative, but he didn’t have many positive things to say about it, either.
Roger Ebert gaveBram Stoker’s Draculathree out of four stars. He praised the shadowy cinematography by Michael Ballhaus and the performances of Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, and Anthony Hopkins. He wrote that Coppola favors spectacle over storytelling, but also lauded the film’s “operatic” qualities. Ebert was much kinder toCoppola’sDraculaadaptationthan his fabricated quote in theMegalopolistrailer makes out. It’s not a completely laudatory review, but the positive points far outweigh the negative points.
Coppola didn’t have to make up negative reviews; he’s gotten plenty over the years
The review quotes seen in theMegalopolistrailer might be fake, but there are legitimate negative reviews of all those movies that could’ve been used. Frank Rich wrote a negative review ofApocalypse NowforTimemagazine; Tom Hibbert wrote a negative review ofBram Stoker’s DraculaforEmpire. There are plenty of negative reviews of Coppola’s well-regarded films that theMegalopolistrailer could’ve used without making up fake ones. And not only that;there are even some genuine negative quotes in the reviews that theMegalopolistrailer cited.
Canby didn’t say thatApocalypse Nowwas hollow, but he did deride it as “profoundly anticlimactic intellectual muddle.” Ebert didn’t callBram Stoker’s Dracula“a triumph of style over substance,” as the trailer claims (which doesn’t even sound like much of an insult; it sounds like a compliment to the style), but he did call it “an exercise in feverish excess,” which sounds much more derogatory. Gleiberman wrote thatBram Stoker’s Dracula“fails to deliver,” and that Coppola had “dressed up a classic tale in mesmerizing visual overkill without coming close to its dark heart.”
Kael was generally complimentary ofThe Godfather, but she also claimed its storytelling was “basic” and its visual symbolism was “obvious.” Sarris wrote thatThe Godfather’s core themes are “never satisfactorily developed,” and that the film is “about as unkind to the Mafia asMein Kampfis to Adolf Hitler.” Why make up fake quotes when these pejorative gems are ripe for the picking? That last one is about as scathing as a film review can get – it’s much more damning than the fake quote included in the trailer.
Will Megalopolis' Marketing Campaign Change With Future Trailers?
It’ll be tough for Megalopolis' marketing campaign to recover after dropping the ball so hard
With the now-removed second trailer forMegalopolis, the studio’s marketing team leaned heavily into the misunderstood genius element of Coppola’s work. This was the best way they could find to spinMegalopolis’ own polarized reviews. But will that have to change now? Previously, the studio wanted to distance itself from the film’s critical reception. Butnow that they’ve been caught fabricating critic quotes, they’ll probably want to distance themselves from that, too. The making and marketing ofMegalopolishas been a mess from start to finish – it might be more exciting to watch this unfold than the movie itself.
Megalopolis
Cast
Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a visionary 2024 film exploring the ambitious dream of reconstructing New York City into a utopia, following a devastating disaster. The narrative delves into the clash between the architect’s utopian vision and the political and personal turmoil that ensues. With a star-studded cast, the film examines themes of ambition, power, and the human spirit’s resilience against the backdrop of a futuristic metropolis.
