Megalopolis director Francis Ford Coppola responds to the controversy regarding the fake reviews featured in a trailer for the film. Negative excerpts that appeared to be from reviews of previous Coppola films, including The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, appeared in the trailer. Despite being attributed as the words of real-life film critics, the excerpts were later revealed to be fabricated, creating another controversy leading up to Megalopolis‘ release.
While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, after explaining the deeply personal nature of making Megalopolis over the course of many years, Coppola was asked about the trailer incident and revealed his thoughts on the matter. He explained that the trailer’s focus on negative reviews of his past work was his idea, but that the use of fabricated quotes was unintentional. Read Coppola’s comments below:
I’m the one who said there were bad reviews, but I don’t know. It was a mistake, an accident, I’m not sure what happened.
What The Fake Reviews Mean For Megalopolis
The Controversy Does Not Help The Narrative Surrounding The Coppola Film
The fake reviews in the Megalopolis trailer turned what could have been a brilliant marketing strategy into yet another controversy. Instead of marketing the film as a meta commentary on creative innovators like Coppola and Adam Driver’s character, Cesar Catilina, being misunderstood and ahead of their time, the narrative surrounding Megalopolis has once again shifted to its controversies, including alleged allegations about Coppola’s on-set behavior and firing the art team hired for the film. These controversies have arguably eclipsed the initial discourse surrounding Megalopolis‘ divisive reviews.
The controversies are a double-edged sword that bring more attention to the imminent release of Coppola’s long-gestating film while also creating a reputation that has little to do with the film itself. According to The Hollywood Reporter, box office projections estimate a domestic opening weekend of $5-$8 million, a disappointing outcome for a project that Coppola financed with $120 million of his own finances. While the film is more than its controversies, they are not helping its box office projections.
Our Take On The Megalopolis Controversy
Megalopolis Is Still Worth Seeing
Despite its turbulent path, Megalopolis remains an intriguing film that I will definitely be seeing during its opening weekend. Megalopolis‘ star-studded cast and the many years Coppola has dedicated to actualizing his creative vision are enough reasons to see the film in theaters. Coppola is ultimately not responsible for the fake reviews incorporated into the Megalopolis trailer, and the fabrications are a separate issue from the ambitious political and science-fiction story being told.
Source: Entertainment Tonight, The Hollywood Reporter
