Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis hasn’t even been released yet, but it’s already at the center of a scandal. It all started in August when a trailer for the director’s films was released that garnered negative reviews from film critics.
Many viewers were surprised by the implications of such a promotional campaign: The new film would supposedly stand the test of time, like the director’s previous works such as “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now.”
Coppola’s films were allegedly criticized by journalists from The New Yorker, National Review, The New York Times, Daily News, Entertainment and the New York Observer. However, in reality, all of the quotes turned out to be fake. The first person to point this out was Bilgi Ebiri from Akbaba.
Pauline Kael of The New Yorker was found to be pleased with the Godfather trilogy, never calling it “diminished by its artistry” in any of her reviews. Reviewer Andrew Sarris of the Village Voice called the Italian mafia epic “a sloppy, self-indulgent film”. Vincent Canby of The New York Times called Apocalypse Now “empty at its core”, and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times was entirely pleased with Dracula, never calling it “a triumph of style over substance” (‘the triumph of style over substance’).
Eight hours later, distribution company Lionsgate pulled the “Megalopolis” trailer and apologized to the director and critics for the lack of fact-checking, saying they did not intend to mislead audiences.
Coppola recently issued a public apology. “I said there were bad reviews, but I don’t know. It was a mistake, it was an accident. I don’t quite understand how it happened.”
Eddie Egan, the marketing consultant responsible for the video, was fired. Social networks claimed he used ChatGPT to create fake quotes. A new trailer was recently released on YouTube, but the first video was blocked.
It is known that Coppola has been nurturing the idea of the film since the 1980s, but the production has been constantly delayed. The subject is based on Sallust’s work “On the Catiline Conspiracy”.
The film is about an accident that will lead to the destruction of New York in the future. The restoration of the metropolis is undertaken by the brilliant architect Cesar Catalina (played by Adam Driver), who dreams of turning the city into a utopia. His project conflicts with the plans of Mayor Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who is ready to do anything to destroy his rival. Caesar is torn between his dreams and his feelings for his beloved Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), the daughter of his enemy.
Along with the main characters, the film will also star Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight and Jason Schwartzman.
“Megalopolis” opens worldwide on Sept. 27. The film had a budget of more than $100 million, and Francis Ford Coppola paid for it entirely with his own money, from revenue from his own winery.
Francis Coppola previously commented on allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women on the set of Megalopolis.
Source: People Talk
Errol Villanueva is an author and lifestyle journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for exploring the latest trends in fashion, food, travel, and wellness, Errol’s articles are a must-read for anyone interested in living a stylish and fulfilling life.
