Lionsgate Pulls Megalopolis Trailer Over Fabricated Critic Quotes

UPDATE

In a unique turn of events, Lionsgate has pulled the latest trailer for Megalopolis from all platforms due to controversy surrounding fabricated critic quotes featured within it. In a statement given to Variety, a spokesperson said the following: “Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis. 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.”

A Bold Marketing Move

Do you remember that one time the marketing team for Tom Hardy’s Krays movie Legend took a two-star review and hid it in the poster, sneakily making it look like a five-star recommendation? Well, no such subtleties are to be found in the latest trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s self-funded sci-fi epic Megalopolis, which sees the man behind The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula take aim at critics by putting apparent takedowns of his long-since canonised classics front and centre of the promotional push for his long-gestating passion project.

Countering Mixed Reviews

The purpose, self-evidently (and as underlined by some smooth Laurence Fishburne narration), is to counter the mixed reviews the movie was met with at this year’s Cannes Film Festival with the cocksure assertion that "true genius is often misunderstood." Check out the new trailer below to decide which side of the divide you fall on:

A Look into the Movie

Here’s the lofty official synopsis for the movie: "Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.”

Star-Studded Cast

Also among the movie’s constellation of stars are Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, and Dustin Hoffman.

Will It Be the Next The Godfather?

Are we about to witness the birth of the next The Godfather? Or will Francis Ford Coppola’s vineyard-funded, mega-budget magnum opus end up being the cinematic equivalent of a dead horse’s head on the bed for FFC? We’ll find out when Megalopolis arrives in UK cinemas on 27 September. As Plaza’s Wow Platinum — yes, her character is called Wow Platinum — would say, "One, two, three — yippee, yee!"

Conclusion

The controversy surrounding the trailer has raised questions about the marketing strategy behind Megalopolis and whether it will ultimately pay off. Only time will tell if Coppola’s passion project will be a box office hit or a critical misfire.

FAQs

Q: Why did Lionsgate pull the trailer for Megalopolis?
A: The trailer was pulled due to controversy surrounding fabricated critic quotes featured within it.

Q: What is the plot of Megalopolis?
A: The movie is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America, exploring the conflict between a genius artist seeking to leap into a utopian future and his opposition, perpetuating greed and special interests.

Q: Who stars in Megalopolis?
A: The movie features a star-studded cast, including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, and Dustin Hoffman.

Q: When will Megalopolis be released?
A: The movie will arrive in UK cinemas on 27 September.