Warner Bros. has released a big batch of new Midnight Special images from Mud and Take Shelter writer/director Jeff Nichols’ upcoming sci-fi thriller. Michael Shannon stars as a father who goes on the run from religious extremists and local law enforcement in order to protect his young son (Jaeden Lieberher) and uncover the truth about the boy’s special powers, and finds himself at the center of an international manhunt.

Nichols has quickly established himself as one of my favorite young filmmakers, and his collaborations with Shannon are always something special. What's more, Nicholas has cited classic sci-fi movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., and Starman as the inspiration for Midnight Special, portending a genre road movie with a whole lot of heart, and every further glimpse at the film only reestablishes it as one of my most anticipated of the year.

Check out the new Midnight Special images below. The film also stars Joel EdgertonKirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Bill Camp, Scott Haze, Paul Sparks, and Sam Shepard. Midnight Special.debuts at SXSW next month before opening in theaters March 18th.


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Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

In the sci-fi thriller “Midnight Special,” writer/director Jeff Nichols proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time, as a father (Michael Shannon), goes on the run to protect his young son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), and uncover the truth behind the boy’s special powers. What starts as a race from religious extremists and local law enforcement quickly escalates to a nationwide manhunt involving the highest levels of the Federal Government. Ultimately his father risks everything to protect Alton and help fulfill a destiny that could change the world forever, in this genre–defying film as supernatural as it is intimately human.

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