Controversy Surrounding Trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” Film

The trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s highly anticipated film “Megalopolis” has been pulled after it was discovered that fake movie reviews, generated by artificial intelligence, were incorporated into the promotional material. The trailer, which drew comparisons to Coppola’s earlier works that were initially met with mixed reviews before becoming classics, featured quotes from famous critics criticizing “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now” that were later revealed to be fabricated.

The Hollywood studio Lionsgate issued a statement apologizing for the error in their vetting process and parted ways with the marketing consultant responsible for the trailer. The use of AI-generated quotes in the trailer has sparked controversy in an industry already grappling with the impact of artificial intelligence on entertainment jobs.

“Megalopolis,” a decades-in-the-making project with a star-studded cast including Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, and Dustin Hoffman, has already divided critics ahead of its release. The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews, follows Driver’s character as he tries to rebuild a decaying city into a futuristic utopia, facing opposition from the city’s mayor played by Giancarlo Esposito.

Despite the controversy surrounding the trailer, “Megalopolis” is set to have its North American premiere at the Toronto film festival next month before hitting US theaters on September 27. Some industry observers have speculated that the entire debacle could have been orchestrated to generate buzz for the film, but Lionsgate has not commented on the speculation.