A first-look trailer for Ari Aster's star-studded dark comedy Eddington has been released ahead of its Cannes debut.
The clip shows Joaquin Phoenix's character scrolling on his phone, caught in the middle of an especially dour news cycle.
The film is set in May 2020 as the world is rocked by the Coronavirus pandemic, with the medical emergency giving way to a feud between Joe Cross (Phoenix), sheriff of Eddington, New Mexico, and Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal).
"If you value your life, you should think twice because the people of Eddington like guns," Cross says during a press conference.
The trailer also gives a sneak peek at the characters played by Emma Stone and Austin Butler.
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Scrolling down his feed, Cross comes across an apology-style video of his wife Louise (Stone), who says to the camera: "I'm speaking now to deny my husband's announcement yesterday, which was false."
As for Butler, his guru-like character Vernon Jefferson Peak can be seen in a video speaking to a crowd and hyping them up.
"We are not a coincidence," he screams into the microphone, as the video is captioned with some radicalising language: "Take back your mind. Reclaim your identity."
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Written and directed by Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar), Eddington will receive its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival, where it will screen in competition to win the Palme d'Or.
The film also stars Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Clifton Collins Jr and Luke Grimes, but their roles haven't been announced just yet.
Eddington will premiere at Cannes Film Festival, which takes place from 13 to 24 May. The movie will then be released in cinemas on July 18.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
