Things are about to get pretty freaky like Mulder and Skully in upcoming sci-fi flick, Midnight Special, which sees Michael Shannon teaming up with director Jeff Nichols again following the critical acclaim of Take Shelter. This time it’s a race against the clock to save a strangely gifted child, but again the concepts of family and the need for sanctuary and protection is a big part of the story, continuing the themes Nichols has featured previously in his films.
Release date
The film has been confirmed for a UK release date of Friday the 8th April 2016, following its earlier arrival on the big screen in the United States on the 18th March 2016. Despite being a sci-fi movie with some element of SFX, which you can see in the trailer below, it’s not a flashy high level effects film, so it’s not being released for 3D screening.
It’ll be coming out in the UK on the same weekend as The Huntsman: Winter’s War and Kristen Wiig comedy, Nasty Baby, so it will be the only real contender for a trip to the cinema for the more discerning film buff.
Story
The plot follows a father’s bid to protect his eight-year-old child Alton from the clutches of a religious sect and a Federal Government backed team that are drawn to the strange gift the boy seems to have. On the run with his ex-wife and a friend, they’re trying to make it to find some shelter of their own from what turns into a massive nationwide search for the kid. Apparently, the world could change for ever as a result of the events that transpire during the runaway cross-country chase.
Cast
Michael Shannon (Man Of Steel) has been cast as Alton’s father Roy, with Kirsten Dunst (On The Road) as his ex-wife Sarah and Joel Edgerton (Black Mass) as their chase companion Lucas. Jaeden Lieberher plays the gifted child at the centre of Midnight Special‘s story, with Sam Shepard (Mud) as the leader of the religious sect trying to find them and Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) heading up the government manhunt for them.
Production
Jeff Nichols writes and directs his fourth movie to-date working once again with producers Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, who previously collaborated with Nichols on Take Shelter. Glen Basner (Mud), Hans Graffunder (Somebody Up There Likes Me), and Christos V. Konstantakopoulos (Take Shelter) are executive producers. Adam Stone (Mud, Take Shelter), takes care of the cinematography with production design from Chad Keith (Take Shelter) and editing by Julie Monroe (Mud). A big part of the success of Jeff Nichols’ previous films has been the music that underpins it all and David Wingo will be back on point for this composing the Midnight Special score, having done the same for Mud and Take Shelter.
First impressions
All signs point to this being another incredible film from Nichols. He’s got a lot of people behind it who he’s worked with previously, so it has a finely tuned team that have a good track record of creating great film experiences.
The trailer looks captivating all by itself and with the acting might of Michael Shannon at the centre of the picture it should be a must-watch for sci-fi fans and movie aficionados alike. The rest of the cast is an unexpected mix, so it’s going to be interesting to see how they all come together, but if Midnight Special is anywhere near as impressive as the brilliant Take Shelter, then it could be one of the year’s stand out films.
