Laurence Fishburne had politics on the mind when he learned of the furor surrounding the latest trailer for director Francis Ford Coppola‘s star-studded feature Megalopolis.
The Oscar-nominated actor spoke with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the Aug. 30 launch of his new sci-fi thriller Slingshot, in which he stars alongside Casey Affleck. The in-demand Fishburne also appears with Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito and Nathalie Emmanuel in the forthcoming Megalopolis, which was the subject of controversy last week, when Lionsgate pulled the film’s trailer after it was discovered that the promo included fabricated quotes from well-known movie critics about other Coppola projects.
Fishburne, who narrates the Megalopolis trailer, explains that he was overseas when the drama unfolded. As it happens, he was actually in the middle of viewing footage from the Democratic National Convention when he was informed of the situation.
“I’m here in London, and somebody told me about it, but I was busy watching the DNC,” the star tells THR with a laugh. “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.”
Fishburne agrees with anyone who had trouble understanding what exactly happened with the controversial trailer: “Yeah, it’s weird.”
Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel in a scene from Megalopolis.
Courtesy of Lionsgate
Among the fabricated excerpts in the trailer that do not appear in the published reviews include Andrew Sarris’ The Village Voice piece being quoted as calling The Godfather a “sloppy self-indulgent movie,” and Pauline Kael’s New Yorker review supposedly stating that the film was “diminished by its artsiness.” Lionsgate has since reportedly parted ways with marketing consultant Eddie Egan, who worked on the trailer.
A longtime passion project for Coppola that cost a reported $120 million to make, Megalopolis has been the subject of debate and was greeted with polarizing response from audiences when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The intent of the recent trailer was likely to encourage viewers to question any negative Megalopolis reactions by claiming that critics have previously been wrong about the filmmaker’s movies that have since been heralded as masterpieces.
As for Megalopolis itself, Fishburne says he was pleased to collaborate again with the Oscar-winning Coppola after appearing in the director’s 1979 classic Apocalypse Now. Megalopolis hits theaters Sept. 27 and stars Driver as an architect with lofty goals of rebuilding New York City from the brink of ruin.
“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 says of his fellow co-stars. “I loved the movie.”
He continues, “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.”