“Midnight Special” Inspired By Previous Modern Sci-Fi Classics

Ever heard of Midnight Special? Well we haven’t, but in a few months writer and director Jeff Nichols is going to make sure you remember his movie according to Slash Film. He has crafted what he is calling a modern and exciting “sci-fi chase film” that harkens back to such movies like Starman and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And now, with the movie only a few months away from landing at theaters, the promotion machine is staring to rev its engines.

Entertainment Weekly ran the picture at the top of this article — which features Michael Shannon (99 Homes), Kirsten Dunst (Fargo), Joel Edgerton (The Gift), and Jarden Lieberher (Aloha) — in addition to quotes from Nichols describing the film, which is also, like his past work, very much about fatherhood.

The son happens to have unique gifts. It’s a weird word to use, but his gifts are, um, supernatural. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Starman, they were my inspirations — very propulsive journeys that work when you can’t predict what’s going to happen next. This is my sci-fi chase film.

Nichols won’t say much more than that, and he doesn’t need to. EW says he’d rather preserve the mystery of Midnight Special, but he’s also a director that likes to play his cards close to his chest.

For Midnight Special, Nichols reunites with both actor/screenwriter/playwright Sam Shepard (Mud) and, for the fourth time, Michael Shannon. Shepard plays a religious nut, while Shannon stars in the role of the father. Adam Driver also stars in the film as a government agent tracking the boy with supernatural powers down, but apparently he’s a nice guy, at least compared to the role we’ll see him play in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

While there are people who have seen an unfinished version of Midnight Special, they only had good things to say about the early cut. It was rumored Warner Bros. was interested in him for Aquaman, so it’s fair to assume they’re pleased with Midnight Special. Pushing the film out of awards season wasn’t a sign of nervousness on their part, because Nichols’ sci-fi chase film, apparently, isn’t typical awards fare.

Here’s the poster for Midnight Special: