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"Hi, I'm Lana," the director says by way of breathy introduction in the trailer for the hotly anticipated new film Cloud Atlas, based on the sprawling historical novel by David Mitchell.

Lana appears with hot pink dreadlocked hair, wearing a sheer dress and with a girlish voice that belies her 47 years. Lana first came to prominence in the 1990s as Larry Wachowski, one half of the Wachowski brothers directing partnership that created the blockbuster Matrix trilogy.

Lana Wachowski as she appears in the Cloud Atlas trailer director's commentary. Photo: Warner Bros.

Lana's official unveiling is the culmination of a decade-long journey and marks the first film in which Lana will be officially credited under her new name. Lana's appearance in the trailer also makes her the first high-profile transsexual director in Hollywood to come out publicly.

The Wachowskis have teamed with German director Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) to co-direct the epic film, which spans from 1850 to a post-apocalyptic future.

Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski. Photo: Warner Bros.

At almost 6 minutes the trailer and accompanying director's commentary are unusually long, but with such an elaborate story perhaps any less would have left audiences more confused that curious.

There has been much speculation about how the directors would handle the extremely complex novel. "The experts all said it was too complicated," Lana says in the director's commentary to the trailer.

The film features an all-star cast including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent.

The buzz around the spine tingling trailer and its directors has guaranteed that anticipation of the film is rapidly reaching fever pitch.