Lionsgate fires Megalopolis marketing executive over controversial AI scandal

After enduring the backlash from Megalopolis’ AI-generated trailer, Lionsgate has decided to fire the marketing consultant behind the video.

Many Francis Ford Coppola fans were extremely hyped for the director’s upcoming sci-fi movie Megalopolis, but their excitement was dimmed by a scandal the production experienced in late August 2024.

Lionsgate Films, the studio behind Coppola’s latest venture, pulled the latest trailer after people discovered the negative quotes from famous critics disparaging the director’s work sprinkled throughout it, which have since been found to be completely made up by AI.

After suffering major backlash for both the use of artificial intelligence and the misleading reviews, Variety reported that Lionsgate decided to part ways with Eddie Egan, the marketing consultant who masterminded the trailer.

The outlet stated that sources close to the production claim it was not Lionsgate or Egan’s intention to fabricate quotes but an “error in properly vetting and fact-checking the phrases provided by the consultant.”

Because Megalopolis has received mixed reviews from critics, the negative quotes were supposed to demonstrate how Coppola’s most iconic works, like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Apocalypse Now, also received harsh reviews when they premiered.

However, internet users were quick to prove the critics cited in the trailer actually loved Coppola’s movies. For example, the video implied The New Yorker’s Pauline Kael thought The Godfather was “diminished by its own artsiness” when, in reality, she adored the movie and praised every aspect of it.

Egan has an extensive history with Lionsgate’s film group chairman Adam Fogelson as the two have worked together over 20 years.

The pair started at Universal Pictures before moving to STX Entertainment. Afterward, Forgelson moved to Lionsgate, where he was named vice chair of the group in 2022 before becoming chairman in January 2024.

On the other hand, Egan became an independent consultant after leaving STX in 2019. Fogelson brought Egan on to help with the marketing for Megalopolis, which is how the scandal was born.

On top of ending their working relationship with Egan for the time being, the studio also offered an apology 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 vetting process. We screwed up. We are sorry.”

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