The producers behind Loving have released the first image from the film. Inspired by Nancy Buirski’s documentary The Loving Story, the new movie from Jeff Nichols (Mud) is based on the 1967 civil rights case Loving v. Virginia, which was borne out of an interracial couple Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred Loving (Ruth Negga) being sentenced to a year in prison simply because of their marriage. They were told their sentence would be suspended if they left the state of Virginia, and they subsequently spent nine years fighting for their right to return home together.  It’s a powerful story and something that I think Nichols has the talent to make feel immediate rather than an injustice carried out by past generations.

According to The Wrap, the film also stars Nick Kroll (The League) as the Lovings’ lawyer Bernie Cohen, Jon Bass (Big Time in Hollywood, FL) as Phil Hirschkop, Martin Csokas (The Equalizer) will play Sheriff Brooks, Bill Camp (Black Mass) as Frank Beazley, and Michael Shannon as Grey Villet, the LIFE Magazine photographer who shot the iconic images of the Lovings in 1965.


Although there’s currently no release date for Loving, it’s possible we could get two Nichols films next year. We’re definitely getting the completed Midnight Special, a sci-fi Nichols made for Warner Bros., starring Shannon and Edgerton as well as Adam Driver and Kirsten Dunst. Midnight Special opens March 18, 2016.

Check out the first Loving image below.

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Image via Big Beach Films and Raindog Films