Lionsgate apologizes for using fabricated quotes in “Megalopolis” trailer: “We messed up”

Lionsgate has pulled the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” after it was revealed that it contained fabricated reviews from real critics of the filmmaker’s previous films.

On Wednesday, the entertainment company apologized and said it had recalled the trailer for the upcoming film starring Adam Driver. In a statement to ABC Audio, it said: “We messed up.”

“Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis,” Lionsgate said in a statement obtained by ABC Audio. “We sincerely apologize to the critics involved, as well as to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope, for this inexcusable error in our review process.”

“We are sorry,” Lionsgate added.

Before the trailer was removed, it began with a voiceover from co-star Laurence Fishburne, who said, “True genius is often misunderstood.”

Then came the supposedly bad reviews that Coppola’s Oscar-winning epic The Godfather deserved. The late Andrew Sarris of the Village Voice called the film a “sloppy, self-indulgent movie.”

Coppola’s 1979 classic Apocalypse Now was also panned by name, as was Bram Stoker’s Dracula from 1992, the latter reportedly panned by both the late Roger Ebert and veteran critic Owen Gleiberman.

Variety found that Ebert’s alleged criticism of the film – “a triumph of style over substance” – was taken from his review of Tim Burton’s 1989 blockbuster “Batman.”

Unlike Ebert, Gleiberman is still alive and not exactly happy. In a report to Variety, he said: “Even if you’re one of those people who don’t like critics, we hardly deserve to have words put in our mouths,” he said, noting that “the entire ‘Megalopolis’ trailer is based on a false narrative.”

He continued: “The critics loved ‘The Godfather.’ And although ‘Apocalypse Now’ was controversial, it received a lot of critical support.”

“As for my statement that Bram Stoker’s Dracula was ‘a beautiful mess,’ I only wish I’d said that!” he added. “As for the film, it sounds nice now.”

According to a synopsis for the upcoming film, also written by Coppola, “Megalopolis” is “a Roman fable set in fictional modern America.”

“The city of New Rome must change, leading to conflict between Cesar Catilina, a brilliant artist who wants to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo and upholds greed, special interests, and partisan wars,” the synopsis continues.

“Torn between them is the well-known character Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties and forces her to discover what she believes humanity truly deserves,” the synopsis continues.

In addition to Driver, the film’s star cast includes Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, DB Sweeney and Dustin Hoffman.

In May, “Megalopolis” was one of many films that premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

“Megalopolis” will be released in theaters on September 27th.