First Image of Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis" Released

There's progress! Master director Francis Ford Coppola is back with a first image from his science fiction epic "Megalopolis".

The director behind masterpieces such as "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now" has returned to the world of film. After more than 40 years, his long-awaited passion project "Megalopolis" has finally been shot and could well be released this year.

The development of "Megalopolis" was characterized by countless hardships and obstacles that Coppola had to endure over the decades. Now, however, the epic starring Adam Driver finally seems imminent: via Instagram, Coppola has posted a first image of his project. The image reveals a gloomy alleyway with a toppled statue and sets a noticeably dystopian tone.

The general plot of the film is set in future New York and presents us with a city that has been almost completely destroyed. A young architect now plans to rebuild it as a huge new utopia. However, this vision meets with opposition from the mayor - and a love affair with the mayor's daughter is likely to create further problems.

The movie's cast is certainly impressive: In addition to Adam Driver in the lead role, we will also be able to see the likes of Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, "Game of Thrones" star Nathalie Emmanuel and Dustin Hoffman.

"Megalopolis" is eagerly awaited. The unconventional director has been struggling with the Hollywood system for years and hasn't been able to achieve a big hit for a long time. We shall see whether this will change with his new project.