Laurence Fishburne stars in “Megalopolis,” but even he doesn’t know all that went down with the debacle over the very trailer for the film he narrated.
“Megalopolis” cannot seem to escape controversy. At first, there were allegations of a chaotic set, though lead star Adam Driver denied he saw any such thing. Then there were accusations that the writer/director Coppola was inappropriate with female extras. He has denied those.
Even the film’s trailer has been problematic. The first full “Megalopolis” trailer was taken down hours after its release due to its inclusion of fake quotes critiquing other Coppola films like “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now.” The faux quotes were attributed to real-life critics like Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael.
The made-up quotes are believed to have been created by an AI chatbot. Lionsgate cut ties with marketing consultant Eddie Egan after the mishap, and distributor Lionsgate issued a statement admitting they “screwed up,” saying, “We are sorry.”
Fishburne, who narrated the trailer, recently told The Hollywood Reporter that he was not really “aware” of this latest issue. His attention was elsewhere.
“I’m here in London, and somebody told me about it, but I was busy watching the [Democratic National Convention],” Fishburne said. “I was like, ‘I need to focus on this. I can’t be bothered with whatever that is.’ So I’m not aware of what it is, exactly.”
When the reporter caught Fishburne up to speed, the actor added, “Yeah, it’s weird.”
As for his experience working with Coppola, Fishburne channeled a more diplomatic approach — after all, he’s been studying politics closely.
“I am just so grateful that I was able to help Francis and be there for him and work with him, Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Shia LaBeouf — all of these amazing, amazing actors,” Fishburne said. “I loved the movie. Francis has poured his heart out, and he’s given us another masterpiece yet again. I’m just really proud to be a part of it.”
Coppola recently told Empire that “Megalopolis” is a “dangerous” feature, much like his most beloved films.
“The film leaps into the unknown unafraid. It’s a dangerous thing to do,” he said. “As we know, the art we revere — Bizet’s ‘Carmen,’ artists like Picasso, Monet, and Matisse — is art that in its time was considered too risky or a failure. ‘Apocalypse Now’ is a perfect example. When it came out, people said, ‘What the hell is this?’ But they never stopped going to see it. With ‘Megalopolis’ you can’t put a label on it. And that’s great. That’s the kind of film I like.”
