Adam Driver standing on the edge of a skyscraper in a city reminiscent of New York, ready to throw himself into the void and seemingly able to control time. Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola on Saturday unveiled the first clip of his long-awaited epic “Megalopolis,” in competition at the Cannes Film Festival later this month.

Forty-five years after “Apocalypse Now,” which earned Coppola a second Palme d’Or award, the American director will be the talk of Cannes from May 14-25, 13 years after the release of his last feature film, “Twixt.”

Coppola, 85, chose to release the teaser on May 4, on what would have been the 88th birthday of his wife, Eleanor Coppola, who died last month. “Megalopolis has always been a film dedicated to my dear wife, Eleanor,” the director, 85, wrote on Instagram. “I really had hoped to celebrate her birthday together on this May 4th.

But sadly that was not to be, so let me share with everyone a gift on her behalf.” The film, which according to American media has a budget of more than $100 million, is a Roman political drama transplanted to modern-day New York, Coppola has said. Along with Driver, the cast includes Giancarlo Esposito, Dustin Hoffman, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne and others. — AFP