Jeff Nichols has revealed that he is writing his first original work since 2016, which is science fiction Midnight special This would take him back to his native Arkansas, on the back of early features Venice stories and Clay.
The project is an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel The Traveler and its companion Stella Maris, about siblings who live with the knowledge that their father helped develop the atomic bomb.
“I'm adapting Cormac McCarthy's last two novels but I'm also writing my first original script since then Midnight special“My fourth film,” Nichols said.
The fifth movie LovingThe film revolves around 1960s married couple Mildred and Richard Loving's battle to have their marriage recognized in Virginia, and is inspired by Nancy Persky's 2011 documentary. The story of lovewhile the Chicago-based crime drama Cyclists It was based on Danny Lyon's book of the same name.
“I've been making old clips and films inspired by other people's work, and this upcoming film, for better or worse, will be cut from the Jeff Nichols cloth,” added the director, who is keeping all other details under wraps for now. The fact that he will be based in his native Arkansas.
Nichols was speaking to Deadline at the Marrakesh Film Festival in Morocco, where he is attending as the main sponsor of the 2024 Atlas Workshops, a talent and project incubator targeting emerging filmmakers from the Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
When asked how important his experience in the US is to filmmakers in the region, Nichols said the challenges first-time filmmakers face are the same all over the world.
“It's always a challenge to understand your voice, and to understand that you have value to contribute to a larger conversation. Who would have thought that a kid who grew up in rural Arkansas would stand on the grounds of the mansion and show a film that was so personal to him,” she said, referring to Mud, which was screened in competition at the festival. He was.
“That sounds almost as far-fetched as…pick any corner of the world. The quickest path to universality in storytelling is regional specificity. You have to be really honest about who you are, where you come from and how you see the world,” he continued.
“If these filmmakers are doing that and they're not trying to make some sort of target for something they watched on some streaming service, but they're actually trying to look at their lives, think about how they feel about life and express that through film, then they have a good chance,” he continued. To compete on the world stage.
Atlas Workshops hosts 17 projects in development and 10 films in production or post-production, including the latest film by American-Palestinian director Sherine Daibes. All that's left of you; Egyptian director Marwan Hamed Aren't you? (Egypt) about the legendary singer Umm Kulthum; And the Palestinian brotherly duo Tarzan and Arab Al-Nasser Once upon a time in Gaza.
