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Francis Ford Coppola91Ƶs 91ƵMegalopolis91Ƶ trailer recalled over fabricated quotes

Trailer used comments about earlier Coppola films critics never actually made
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This image provided by Lionsgate shows a scene from the film, 91ƵMegalopolis.91Ƶ (Lionsgate via AP)

Lionsgate recalled its new trailer for Francis Ford Coppola91Ƶs 91Ƶ 91Ƶ Wednesday amid revelations that critics91Ƶ quotes were fabricated.

91ƵLionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis,91Ƶ a Lionsgate spokesperson said in a statement to The Associated Press. 91ƵWe 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.91Ƶ

The trailer, released earlier Wednesday, included quotes from critics like Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert of other Coppola films that did not actually appear in their reviews. The intent, it seems, was to highlight the critical divisiveness of now-classics like 91ƵThe Godfather91Ƶ and 91ƵApocalypse Now,91Ƶ leaning into some of the more negative reactions to 91ƵMegalopolis,91Ƶ the self-financed $120 million epic opening in September.

The trailer attributed a quote to Kael that 91ƵThe Godfather91Ƶ was 91Ƶdiminished by its artsiness.91Ƶ But Kael loved 91ƵThe Godfather,91Ƶ and this phrase was not used in her March 1972 review of the film for The New Yorker. Ebert also did not write that Coppola91Ƶs 91ƵBram Stoker91Ƶs Dracula91Ƶ was 91Ƶa triumph of style over substance.91Ƶ Quotes from Rex Reed and Vincent Canby, about 91ƵApocalypse Now,91Ƶ did not appear in their reviews either.

91ƵMegalopolis91Ƶ has been decades in the making, and it received many mixed reviews upon its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. It has also come under scrutiny of late for alleged misconduct on set, after videos leaked of Coppola hugging and kissing extras during a club scene. Representatives have not responded to the AP91Ƶs requests for comment about the videos.

The film is set to have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month before .





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