At a time when filmmakers can go from a tiny Sundance indie to a $200 million blockbuster virtually overnight, it’s been heartening to see Jeff Nichols’ slow-and-steady rise. Since his striking debut “Shotgun Stories,” Nichols has gotten a little bit bigger each time at bat — firstly with the apocalyptic “Take Shelter” with regular collaborator Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, then with Matthew McConaughey and the acclaimed “Mud,” and then this year with the excellent sci-fi pic “Midnight Special.”
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The terrific, Oscar-touted “Loving” looks likely to introduce him to his widest audience yet, and after being linked to “Aquaman” for a while, Nichols looks to be going back to sci-fi for what’s sure to be his biggest-budget movie yet, as Deadline have announced that he’s signed on to a remake of fondly-remembered 80s sci-fi pic “Alien Nation.”
Released in 1988, the film saw James Caan and Mandy Patinkin paired as a human and alien cop teamed up to solve a murder in a world where extraterrestrial ‘Newcomers’ live alongside, and are discriminated against by, humanity. A powerful allegory for racism, the film spawned a well-liked but short-lived TV series the year after its release, as well as various spin-offs in print and comic books.
It’s easy to see why this is a good fit for Nichols, who’ll write the film as well as direct: it’s a mix of the sci-fi of “Midnight Special” and the examination of racial injustice of “Loving.” And we imagine that, while this’ll clearly be a big studio movie, it likely will fall in the mid-budget range rather than completely breaking the bank. There’s no timeline on the project for now, but Nichols’ calendar frees up once he’s done on the awards circuit, so this could be ready to shoot by next year for a 2018 release. Will he bring along some of his regulars like Shannon and Joel Edgerton? More news once it arrives.