A still from the ‘Megalopolis’ movie|@megalopolismov|X
The trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed magnum opus Megalopolis was taken down just hours after its release when it was found to use fake reviews and fabricated quotes from famous movie critics.
The trailer shows quotes from negative reviews, allegedly from critics, Coppola received for his earlier films like The Godfather and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. True, the movies received mixed reviews before becoming classics, but according to Vulture, the quotes are made up.
One of the fake quotes included Andrew Sarris’ review, which called The Godfather “a sloppy self-indulgent movie,” but this description was not found in the review.
Lionsgate, the studio behind the film, apologized for the error.
Despite the retraction, copies of the trailer continue to circulate online.
It is the latest controversy surrounding Coppola’s highly anticipated and costly sci-fi project. Past controversies include reports of a chaotic production and allegations of Coppola’s inappropriate behavior with extras on set.