Laurence Fishburne had politics on his mind when he first heard about the uproar concerning the latest trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's star-studded film Megalopolis.
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| 'Megalopolis' stars Laurence Fishburne and Adam Driver attend the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images |
The Oscar-nominated actor chatted with Morfeli Reporter ahead of the August 30 release of his new sci-fi thriller Slingshot, where he shares the screen with Casey Affleck. Fishburne, who remains highly sought-after, also stars alongside Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Nathalie Emmanuel in the upcoming Megalopolis.
The film stirred up controversy last week when Lionsgate pulled its trailer after it was revealed that the promo featured fabricated quotes from prominent film critics about other Coppola projects.
Fishburne, who provides the narration for the Megalopolis trailer, reveals that he was overseas when the controversy erupted. Interestingly, he was in the midst of watching footage from the Democratic National Convention when he was notified about the issue.
"I'm here in London, and someone mentioned it to me, but I was busy watching the DNC," the actor shares with a chuckle during his conversation with Morfeli. "I thought, 'I need to stay focused on this. I can't be distracted by whatever that is.' So, I’m not entirely sure what the situation is."
Fishburne sympathizes with those who found the trailer drama confusing: "Yeah, it's definitely odd."
Among the fabricated quotes in the trailer that never appeared in published reviews were Andrew Sarris’ supposed comment in The Village Voice, calling The Godfather a "sloppy self-indulgent movie," and Pauline Kael’s alleged New Yorker review, which supposedly claimed the film was "diminished by its artsiness."
Following the controversy, Lionsgate has reportedly cut ties with marketing consultant Eddie Egan, who was involved in creating the trailer.
Megalopolis, a long-standing passion project for Coppola with a reported budget of $120 million, has sparked debate and received a mixed response when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
The intent behind the recent trailer was likely to prompt viewers to question any negative reactions to Megalopolis by implying that critics have previously misjudged Coppola’s films, which have since been hailed as masterpieces.
Regarding Megalopolis, Fishburne expresses his satisfaction at reuniting with Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola after previously working together on the 1979 classic Apocalypse Now. Megalopolis, which hits theaters on September 27, features Adam Driver as an architect with ambitious plans to rebuild New York City from the edge of disaster.
"I'm just so thankful that I had the chance to support Francis, be there for him, and work alongside him, Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Shia LaBeouf—such an incredible, incredible group of actors," Fishburne says of his co-stars. "I loved the film."
He adds, "Francis has truly poured his heart into this, delivering yet another masterpiece. I'm just very proud to be part of it."
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