It is an ad for sure, and the title is very misleading although the article clears some things up.
The $120 million is self funded, which is why the amount is relevant.
"In the works for 40 years" includes the time from when the idea to make the movie was conceived. That is common filmmaking terminology since a lot of films that are in the works end up having trouble finding funding or a distributor, and getting both are a big part of the process. Sometimes they take longer than the time from preproduction to the theater.
In the works for 40 years is also a giant red flag and I assume it is going to be mediocre at best.