United Kingdom, Aug. 24 -- Ron Howard was riddled with nerves over stepping into unfamiliar territory with his new film Eden.

The 71-year-old has carved out a reputation for himself as one of Hollywood's most capable directors, but he made the admission as he described his latest project as a "big creative risk".

Speaking at a Cinema Society screening in New York City about how Eden had pushed him outside of his usual filmmaking style, he said: "This movie was a big creative risk. It was outside my comfort zone."

He added: "Most of my movies are celebratory, while this project is a cautionary tale. It's a true crime thriller and I'm so proud of it."

Eden, which stars Jude Law, 51, Sydney Sweeney, 27, and Ana de Armas, 37, follows the ...