A still from Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’

Francis Ford Coppola has lifted the curtain on his highly-anticipated Megalopolis, with the release of its official trailer, offering us a look at the scale and ambition of the film.

The teaser provides a peek into the thematic depth of the self-funded passion project. Featuring sprawling cityscapes, a diverse ensemble cast, and scenes depicting societal unrest, the trailer hints at the complexities of the Roman fable set in modern America.

Accompanied by a voiceover contemplating the decline of empires, the trailer melds imagery from ancient Rome with urban vistas, setting the stage for the ideological conflict at the heart of the story between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) and Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito).

Set to make its debut at the Cannes Film Festival 2024 on May 17, Megalopolis looks to be a cinematic event of considerable magnitude. Described as Coppola’s most ambitious work to date, the film boasts an ensemble cast that includes Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Jason Schwartzman, Laurence Fishburne, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D.B. Sweeney and Dustin Hoffman.

In 1983, Coppola initiated the writing of Megalopolis, that ended up reportedly costing $120 million and partially financed by selling a significant portion of his wine empire.

A screening was held in late March for potential buyers, attended by industry figures like Universal’s Donna Langley, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, and Sony’s Tom Rothman. However, more than a month later, the film is still without distribution.