In March 1976, Coppola flew with his family to Manila where they rented a house that would be their home for Apocalypse’s proposed five month filming period.

But just a few days into shooting, Coppola wasn’t happy with what Keitel was doing with his version of Willard. The director noted that Keitel “found it difficult to play him as a passive onlooker”. His concerns were confirmed after he viewed early test footage, and Keitel was replaced with Sheen, who by now was free from his other contractual obligations.

Two months into shooting, however, production was shut down after Typhoon Olga destroyed numerous sets in Iba. An entire month’s scheduled shooting was ruined after the Playboy bunny set was torn apart by the typhoon.

Adding to the chaos, the entire payroll was stolen. The film had already fallen six weeks behind. And the budget had ballooned by $2m. “I was under great strain,” Coppola remembers. “Partly because we didn't have an ending and because it was my own money. But it produced a very oddly appropriate film for that subject matter.” Sheen didn’t help matters...