Michael Shannon, the best good luck charm a director can have, belongs to Jeff Nichols—Shannon stars in all three of Nichols’ films: Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, and Mud (currently in theaters).  Recently, Shannon revealed he and Nichols “are heating up our fourth collaboration to happen in the winter.”  Per Variety, said project is a sci-fi chase movie set in the present day.  The Warner Bros. project is Nichols’ first studio film.

The studio is keeping details under wraps, but Nichols described two scripts he is writing in January.  Midnight Special, which Nichols likens to a “1980s John Carpenter movie” (specifically Starman), sounds like a good fit.  More after the jump.

Director Jeff Nichols (Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, Mud) has explored dynamic family relationships and blue collars with a Southern backdrop in each of his films, but might be leaning towards genre territory for one of his next projects.  In a recent interview for Mud, Nichols talked about his upcoming projects: the genre-slanted Midnight Special and an untitled work-in-progress that hits closer to his previous works.

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland, Nichols’ Mud opens April 26th.  Hit the jump to see what the director had to say about his next projects.