Midnight Special opens in cinemas on 8th April and is the fourth collaboration between actor Michael Shannon and writer/director Jeff Nichols. Through the years Shannon and Nichols have combined their talents on a number of critically acclaimed films which has cemented them as one of the most interesting and successful actor/director combinations.
Shotgun Stories (2007)
Shannon’s first collaboration with Jeff Nichols came in 2007 with Shotgun Stories. The film follows a feud that erupts between two sets of half brothers following the death of a father who left one family to start another. Set against the cotton fields and back roads of Southeast Arkansas, these brothers discover the lengths to which each will go to protect their family.
Take Shelter (2011)
In Take Shelter, father and husband Curtis (Shannon), is plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions. Convinced that he is witness to a prophecy and determined to protect his wife and children, Curtis begins to build a storm shelter but is all the while afraid that his visions are just indicators of a decent into mental illness. Building the shelter threatens every aspect of his life and singles him out for ridicule, but Curtis is convinced that the shelter will save his family’s life.
MUD (2013)
One year after reuniting with Jeff Nichols for Take Shelter, Shannon joined Nichols for their third collaboration in 2013’s highly acclaimed Mud. In the film, two boys find a man named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) hiding out on an island in the Mississippi. Mud regales stories of crazy adventures of bounty hunters and a beautiful girl called Juniper to the young boys but they soon realise that there was more to Mud than they initially realised and chaos soon follows him to their small town. Shannon plays a small but powerful role as an uncle to one of the boys.
This month, Jeff Nichols and Michael Shannon reunite for a genre-defying thriller alongside a brilliant ensemble cast including Adam Driver, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton, Sam Shepard and talented newcomer Jaeden Lieberher.
This month, Jeff Nichols and Michael Shannon reunite for a genre-defying thriller alongside a brilliant ensemble cast including Adam Driver, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton, Sam Shepard and talented newcomer Jaeden Lieberher.
Roy (Michael Shannon) is a father desperate to protect his uniquely gifted eight-year-old son in this gripping take on the sci-fi movie, which proves once again that director Jeff Nichols is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time. As father and son go on the run, an intense chase ensues as they are hunted down by a mysterious cult and a clandestine government agency – the outcome of which could bring about a world-changing event.
Don’t miss MIDNIGHT SPECIAL when it opens in cinemas April 8th 2016.
