Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' Trailer Pulled Over AI-Generated Fake Reviews Controversy

Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' trailer axed for using fake movie reviews

Gaza doctors left in the dark as fuel shortages hit hospitals A trailer promoting Francis Ford Coppola's new film 'Megalopolis' has been withdrawn after it was found to have incorporated fake movie reviews, reportedly generated by artificial intelligence. To Read Lifestyle Stories in Urdu- Click Here Coppola's wildly ambitious, decades-in-the-making movie, which hits theatres next month and stars Adam Driver, has starkly divided critics. A trailer released this week drew parallels to earlier works by the revered Hollywood director that also initially left some professional reviewers cold before going on to become classics -- suggesting 'Megalopolis' can do the same. "True genius is often misunderstood," a voiceover began before quotes from famous critics calling 'The Godfather' a 'sloppily self-indulgent movie' and 'Apocalypse Now' a 'spectacular failure' were presented on the screen. The problem? None of those quotes were real. Instead, the trailer appears to have used AI-generated imitations of the type of withering put-downs associated with renowned reviewers such as Pauline Kael. In at least one case, a criticism appears to have been lifted from a review of an entirely different film The trailer was quickly recalled, with Hollywood studio Lionsgate offering 'our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola' for an 'inexcusable error in our vetting process'. "We screwed up. We are sorry," said a statement. Lionsgate has since parted company with the marketing consultant behind the trailer, trade outlet Variety said Friday. Meanwhile, Deadline reported that the quotes were generated by AI. The furore comes at a time when Hollywood is roiled by the encroaching impact of AI. Fears that technology could replace entertainment industry jobs - from actors to writers - were central to last summer's devastating strikes. The trailer episode is just the latest controversy to hit 'Megalopolis', an already hugely divisive epic. Legendary director Coppola has said he spent $120 million of his own money to make the film, selling a stake in his California vineyard. But its much-hyped world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival left the industry confounded. Critics' responses ranged from 'a true modern masterwork' to a 'catastrophe'. Driver stars as a seemingly magical architect whose efforts to rebuild a decaying city into a futuristic utopia are thwarted by its resentful mayor (Giancarlo Esposito). Also Read: 'Call Me Bae' trailer: Makers accused of copying '2 Broke Girls' The movie also stars Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf and Dustin Hoffman. It receives its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival next month before being released in US theatres on September 27. The controversy has provoked theories among some Hollywood observers that the entire unseemly debacle could have been staged to provoke headlines. Lionsgate did not respond to an AFP request for comment. But a source familiar with the marketing plan told AFP the studio did not deliberately fabricate the quotes and removed the trailer as soon as it became aware of the situation.

New Coppola Film Trailer Axed For Using Fake Movie Reviews

A trailer promoting Francis Ford Coppola's new film "Megalopolis" has been withdrawn after it was found to have incorporated fake movie reviews, reportedly generated by artificial intelligence. Coppola's wildly ambitious, decades-in-the-making movie, which hits theaters next month and stars Adam Driver, has starkly divided critics. A trailer released this week drew parallels to earlier works by the revered Hollywood director that also initially left some professional reviewers cold before going on to become classics -- suggesting "Megalopolis" can do the same. "True genius is often misunderstood," a voiceover began, before quotes from famous critics calling "The Godfather" a "sloppily self-indulgent movie" and "Apocalypse Now" a "spectacular failure" were presented on the screen. The problem? None of those quotes were real. Instead, the trailer appears to have used AI-generated imitations of the type of withering put-downs associated with renowned reviewers such as Pauline Kael. In at least one case, a criticism appears to have been lifted from a review of an entirely different film The trailer was quickly recalled, with Hollywood studio Lionsgate offering "our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola" for an "inexcusable error in our vetting process." "We screwed up. We are sorry," said a statement. Lionsgate has since parted company with the marketing consultant behind the trailer, trade outlet Variety said Friday. Meanwhile Deadline reported that the quotes were generated by AI. The furor comes at a time when Hollywood is roiled by the encroaching impact of AI. Fears the technology could replace entertainment industry jobs -- from actors to writers -- were central to last summer's devastating strikes. The trailer episode is just the latest controversy to hit "Megalopolis," an already hugely divisive epic. Legendary director Coppola has said he spent $120 million of his own money to make the film, selling a stake in his California vineyard. But its much-hyped world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival left the industry confounded. Critics' responses ranged from "a true modern masterwork" to a "catastrophe." Driver stars as a seemingly magical architect whose efforts to rebuild a decaying city into a futuristic utopia are thwarted by its resentful mayor (Giancarlo Esposito). The movie also stars Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf and Dustin Hoffman. It receives its North American premiere at the Toronto film festival next month, before being released in US theaters on September 27. The controversy has provoked theories among some Hollywood observers that the entire unseemly debacle could have been staged to provoke headlines. Lionsgate did not respond to an AFP request for comment. But a source familiar with the marketing plan told AFP the studio did not deliberately fabricate the quotes, and removed the trailer as soon as it became aware of the situation.

New Coppola film trailer axed for using fake movie reviews

Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) - A trailer promoting Francis Ford Coppola's new film "Megalopolis" has been withdrawn after it was found to have incorporated fake movie reviews, reportedly generated by artificial intelligence. Coppola's wildly ambitious, decades-in-the-making movie, which hits theaters next month and stars Adam Driver, has starkly divided critics. A trailer released this week drew parallels to earlier works by the revered Hollywood director that also initially left some professional reviewers cold before going on to become classics -- suggesting "Megalopolis" can do the same. "True genius is often misunderstood," a voiceover began, before quotes from famous critics calling "The Godfather" a "sloppily self-indulgent movie" and "Apocalypse Now" a "spectacular failure" were presented on the screen. The problem? None of those quotes were real. Instead, the trailer appears to have used AI-generated imitations of the type of withering put-downs associated with renowned reviewers such as Pauline Kael. In at least one case, a criticism appears to have been lifted from a review of an entirely different film The trailer was quickly recalled, with Hollywood studio Lionsgate offering "our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola" for an "inexcusable error in our vetting process." "We screwed up. We are sorry," said a statement. Lionsgate has since parted company with the marketing consultant behind the trailer, trade outlet Variety said Friday. Meanwhile Deadline reported that the quotes were generated by AI. The furor comes at a time when Hollywood is roiled by the encroaching impact of AI. Fears the technology could replace entertainment industry jobs -- from actors to writers -- were central to last summer's devastating strikes. The trailer episode is just the latest controversy to hit "Megalopolis," an already hugely divisive epic. Legendary director Coppola has said he spent $120 million of his own money to make the film, selling a stake in his California vineyard. But its much-hyped world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival left the industry confounded. Critics' responses ranged from "a true modern masterwork" to a "catastrophe." Driver stars as a seemingly magical architect whose efforts to rebuild a decaying city into a futuristic utopia are thwarted by its resentful mayor (Giancarlo Esposito). The movie also stars Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf and Dustin Hoffman. It receives its North American premiere at the Toronto film festival next month, before being released in US theaters on September 27. The controversy has provoked theories among some Hollywood observers that the entire unseemly debacle could have been staged to provoke headlines. Lionsgate did not respond to an AFP request for comment. But a source familiar with the marketing plan told AFP the studio did not deliberately fabricate the quotes, and removed the trailer as soon as it became aware of the situation.

Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' trailer used AI for fake critic quotes, studio apologises - Times of India

Lionsgate has parted ways with marketing consultant Eddie Egan following a controversy involving fabricated critic quotes in the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming film "Megalopolis," sources confirmed to Deadline. The studio has also recalled the trailer and issued an apology for the "inexcusable error." The trailer, released on Wednesday, featured purported negative quotes about Coppola's past works from renowned critics like Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris.However, these quotes were quickly revealed to be fabricated. An investigation found that the fake quotes were generated by artificial intelligence, according to sources familiar with the matter. The trailer featured several fabricated negative quotes about Coppola's previous works, falsely attributed to renowned critics. For instance, it claimed that Pauline Kael of The New Yorker wrote that "The Godfather" was "diminished by its artsiness," when in fact, Kael had praised the film. Other fake quotes included Andrew Sarris allegedly calling it a "sloppy self-indulgent movie." Variety conducted its own experiment. Using ChatGPT, an AI language model, they prompted the system to generate negative criticism about Coppola's work from well-known reviewers. Surprisingly, the AI-generated responses bore a striking resemblance to the fabricated quotes featured in the "Megalopolis" trailer. Sources tell that Lionsgate nor Egan intended to fabricate quotes, but the studio aimed to demonstrate that Coppola's acclaimed works, like "Megalopolis," have faced criticism in the past. Lionsgate spokesperson stated, "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." Egan, who has worked closely with Lionsgate's film group chair Adam Fogelson for over two decades, was responsible for the trailer's content. Now, Lionsgate has parted ways with him. "Megalopolis," a Roman epic set in modern America, stars Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Nathalie Emmanuel. The film, self-financed by Coppola with a budget exceeding $100 million, marks the director's first feature since 2011's "Twixt." The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk's news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.

Report: Deleted Megalopolis Trailer Used Fake Quotes Generated By AI

Apocalypse Now director Francis Ford Coppola's sci-fi passion project Megalopolis continues to be one of Hollywood's biggest train wrecks. The latest derailment was a trailer that had to be pulled for fabricating quotes. It's now being reported that, surprise, the trailer quotes were generated by AI. Where to begin with Megalopolis? The short version is that it's a heady but big-budget art house movie with an eclectic but all-star cast led by Adam Driver about an architect facing an existential crisis in a futuristic city. Coppola has apparently wanted to make it for decades, and even sold part of his winery to finance the $120 million budget. Its divided critics with a roughly 50 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and Coppola has been accused of inappropriate behavior on the set, including a video showing him kissing female extras. Then this week a trailer came out that included famous movie critics panning various past films of Coppola's like Bram Stoker's Dracula. "Diminished by its artsiness," read a quote attributed to Pauline Kael about The Godfather for The New Yorker that flashes onscreen, trying to make the point that any recent negative press around Megalopolis is similarly mistaken. The only problem was that Kael never wrote it. Variety now reports that generative AI did. "Sources tell Variety it was not Lionsgate or Egan's intention to fabricate quotes, but was an error in properly vetting and fact-checking the phrases provided by the consultant," reads the report. "It appears that AI was used to generate the false quotes from the critics." Lionsgate didn't comment on the allegation, but it has parted ways with Eddie Egan, the marketing consultant now being blamed for the embarrassing controversy. "Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis," the company which is distributing the movie announced earlier this week. "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." Megalopolis comes to theaters in wide-release on September 27 and I am morbidly curious.

Marketer Behind Fake Quotes in 'Megalopolis' Trailer Dropped by Lionsgate

Eddie Egan, a very real marketing consultant, lost his gig with Lionsgate this week after the studio discovered that quotes he used in a trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis were fabricated, according to Variety. The conceit behind the teaser, which Lionsgate recalled on Wednesday, was that critics had trashed Coppola's masterpieces throughout the decades, so why trust them? Except that the critics quoted didn't actually write any of the pith. A quote attributed to Pauline Kael that was said to have run in The New Yorker, claiming The Godfather was "diminished by its artsiness," never ran. It's likely that the consultant used A.I. to generate information, a source familiar with the matter told Rolling Stone, who adds it was never the studio's intention to fabricate quotes and said that when the studio realized there was a problem, it reacted immediately and apologized. Variety reports that a prompt to ChatGPT for negative press around Coppola returned similar statements but that in reality Kael loved The Godfather. Egan did not return Rolling Stone's request for comment. Neither did a rep for Lionsgate. Egan has been an independent contractor since parting ways with STX film group in 2019. While at STX and previously at Universal, Variety reports, that he worked closely with Adam Fogelson, who's now Lionsgate's film group chairperson. "Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis," the company said in a statement Wednesday. "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." Coppola's Roman epic Megalopolis, which stars Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Nathalie Emmanuel, is set to come out Sept. 27. Rolling Stone's bona fide film critic, David Fear (also a real name), praised the movie when it premiered at Cannes. The following quote is verifiable, and you can fact-check it. "Say what you will about this grand gesture at filtering Edward Gibbon's history lessons through a lens darkly, it is exactly the movie that Coppola set out to make -- uncompromising, uniquely intellectual, unabashedly romantic (upper-case and lower-case R), broadly satirical yet remarkably sincere about wanting not just brave new worlds but better ones," Fear wrote. "Does it sometimes feel as if it's distilling decades' worth of book-club readings and coffee-klatch conversations into a tightly packed two hours? Yes. Was it worth the wait? Dear god, yes." (Fear's choice of Roman font, pun intended, and italics are also very real.)