Lionsgate Fires Megalopolis CMO Amid Controversial AI Scandal

Following a wave of criticism over the AI-generated trailer for Megalopolis, Lionsgate has decided to fire the marketing consultant behind it.

Many fans of Francis Ford Coppola were extremely excited about the director’s upcoming sci-fi film Megalopolis, but their enthusiasm was overshadowed by the scandal that erupted around the production in late August 2024.

Lionsgate Films, the studio behind Coppola’s latest venture, pulled the latest trailer after people discovered that the film was peppered with negative quotes from well-known critics who criticized the director’s work. They were later revealed to have been entirely made up by AI.

Following criticism for its use of artificial intelligence and misleading reviews, Variety reported that Lionsgate has decided to part ways with Eddie Egan, the marketing consultant who came up with the trailer.

The outlet reported that sources close to the production claim that neither Lionsgate nor Egan intended to make up the quotes, but made “an error in properly verifying and fact-checking the wording provided by the consultant.”

Because Megalopolis has received mixed reviews from critics, with negative quotes meant to show how Coppola’s most iconic works, such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Apocalypse Now, also received harsh reviews upon release.

However, netizens were quick to prove that the critics listed in the trailer actually loved Coppola’s films. For example, the film suggested that Pauline Kael of The New Yorker felt that The Godfather was “diminished by its own artistry,” when in fact she loved the film and praised every aspect of it.

Egan has a rich history of working with Adam Fogelson, the president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, and has worked together for more than 20 years.

The pair started at Universal Pictures before moving to STX Entertainment. Forgelson then moved to Lionsgate, where he became vice chairman of the group in 2022 and chairman in January 2024.

On the other hand, Egan became an independent consultant after leaving STX in 2019. Fogelson hired Egan to help with marketing Megalopolis, which started the scandal.

In addition to ending their relationship with Egan for now, the studio also apologized for the trailer, writing, “We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error in our review process. We screwed up. We apologize.”

Megalopolis premieres on September 27. For more, check out all the best new movies streaming and our guide to the best movies of 2024 so far .