“Megalopolis” Francis Ford Coppola debuted at Cannes, where it divided critics. Some called the film a masterpiece and a triumph of creativity. Others called it dated, overhyped and inept.
The trailer, released on August 21, addressed the reception to “Megalopolis,” reminding us that the director’s previous films — “Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now,” both now considered classics — also faced a lukewarm reception. Excerpts from unfavorable reviews were included in the trailer. Critics quoted included Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael.
A review was also cited “Dracula” Owen Gleiberman of Variety. The thing is, the critic wrote it for Entertainment Weekly, and it sounded very different. “Even if you don’t like critics, we don’t deserve to have lies pushed into our mouths. But the biggest scandal is that this trailer is built on a false narrative. Critics loved ‘The Godfather.’ ‘Apocalypse Now’ divided critics, but it also got a lot of support from reviewers. And as for me calling ‘Dracula’ a ‘beautiful mess,’ I wish I did. Now that sounds incredibly mild,” Gleiberman said.
In turn, the quote from Ebert, “The triumph of style over substance,” referred to Tim Burton’s “Batman,” not Coppola’s “Dracula.” It is not known who the author of the other quoted fragments is.
“Lionsgate is immediately pulling the trailer for ‘Megalopolis,'” a spokesperson said. “I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to the critics (mentioned in the trailer), Francis Ford Coppola, and production company American Zoetrope for an inexcusable error in our review process. We screwed up. We apologize.”
The trailer scandal is yet another to emerge in connection with “Megalopolis.” Earlier, there were reports of the director’s unprofessional behavior on the set.
“Megalopolis” will hit Polish cinemas on October 25, 2024.