UPDATE: The trailer has been pulled because the quotes used were fabricated. In a statement, Lionsgate said, "We 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."
Early screenings of Megalopolis drew largely mixed-to-negative reviews from critics (it sits at a disappointing 53% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it appears Lionsgate has decided to lean into that. How? Well, by reminding moviegoers how Francis Ford Coppola's previous movies were received upon release.
The first 45 seconds of this new trailer focuses heavily on the negative reviews for The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker's Dracula, three movies now widely considered classics.
Laurence Fishburne narrates the preview, praising Coppola as a visionary filmmaker who is years ahead of his time; in case it wasn't obvious, the message the studio is trying to convey is that Megalopolis is also destined to be remembered as a masterpiece...one day. Right now, though, critics simply don't get it.
That opening is followed by plenty of gorgeous new shots from the movie and a reminder of exactly how star-studded the 85-year-old Coppola's latest epic is.
You can check out the intriguing new trailer for Megalopolis in the players below (via SFFGazette.com).
"It’s kind of undefinable, which feels very general until you watch the movie," Star Wars actor Adam Driver previously said of Megalopolis. "Then my answer will be perfect. There’s not a lot of precedent for it and it’s wild on a big scale, which is what’s really unique about it."
"He’s a visionary. He’s very much Francis [Ford Coppola], in a way, where he’s investigated every way of how people can do something and is trying not to get stuck on the right answer," he added. "That’s an idea that’s moving to me – and one that reflects Francis."
Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare.
Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero, the mayor's daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.
The movie stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Shia Labeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Jason Schwartzman, Talia Shire, Grace Vanderwaal, Kathryn Hunter, and Dustin Hoffman.
Written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Megalopolis arrives in theaters on September 27.