“Megalopolis” Trailer Withdrawn due to False Information
The trailer displayed excerpts from film critics which were discovered to be fake and apparently created by artificial intelligence.
Francis Ford Coppola's much-anticipated film "Megalopolis" has already stirred up controversy, and it hasn't even hit theaters yet. This time, the uproar centers around a recently released trailer promoting the film, which was abruptly pulled after it was discovered that it featured fake film reviews, supposedly created by artificial intelligence.
The film, which stars Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, and Dustin Hoffman, and is set to be released next month, has been in the works for decades and has already sparked heated debate among film critics. The now-withdrawn trailer seemed to embrace this divisiveness and controversiality, drawing comparisons to Coppola's previous filmography like "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now"—films that were first met with mixed reviews but later went on to achieve classic status. The trailer pitched that "Megalopolis" might follow a similar trajectory, with a voiceover proclaiming, "True genius is often misunderstood."
However, the quotes used in the trailer—purportedly harsh critiques of Coppola's previous masterpieces—turned out to be fabrications. Rather than referencing actual reviews, the trailer seems to have utilized AI-generated emulations of famous critics’ writing styles. One of the alleged critiques was even traced back to a review of another film, raising further questions about the trailer's authenticity.
In response to the backlash, Hollywood studio Lionsgate swiftly retracted the trailer and issued an apology. "We screwed up. We are sorry," the studio said in a statement, acknowledging the "inexcusable error" in their vetting process. The studio has since cut ties with the marketing professional responsible for the trailer. According to industry sources, the fake quotes were produced by AI, adding another layer to the ongoing debate about the role of artificial intelligence in Hollywood.
This incident has only added to the already controversial nature of "Megalopolis." The film, which Coppola financed with $120 million of his own money had a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival that left audiences and critics deeply divided. Some hailed it as a masterpiece while others dismissed it as a catastrophe.
"Megalopolis" features Adam Driver as a visionary architect attempting to rebuild a crumbling city into a modern utopia, only to be hindered by its resistant mayor, played by Giancarlo Esposito. The film is set for its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month, followed by its theatrical release in the USA on September 27.
While some Hollywood insiders speculate that the controversy might have been a deliberate stunt to generate buzz, a source close to the marketing campaign insisted that the studio did not intentionally contrive the quotes and acted swiftly to rectify the situation once it was uncovered.
As the release date for "Megalopolis" approaches, all eyes will be on Coppola’s latest epic to see whether it can transcend its troubled marketing and divisive early reception to become another classic in the director's storied career.