A father and son go on the run, pursued by the government and a cult drawn to the child's special powers.
Midnight Special (2016) Online
Alton Meyer is a boy unlike any other in the world with bizarrely powerful abilities and strange weaknesses. In the middle of the night, his father, Roy, spirits him away from the isolated cult that practically worships him and is determined to regain him at all costs. At the same time, Alton's abilities have been noticed by the US government as well and they are equally insistent on getting to the bottom of this mystery with Paul Sevier of the National Security Agency leading the Federal pursuit with his own questions. These rival hunts force father and son into a desperate run towards a looming date with destiny that could change everything.
Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Michael Shannon | - | Roy | |
Joel Edgerton | - | Lucas | |
Kirsten Dunst | - | Sarah | |
Adam Driver | - | Sevier | |
Jaeden Martell | - | Alton (as Jaeden Lieberher) | |
Bill Camp | - | Doak | |
Scott Haze | - | Levi | |
Sam Shepard | - | Calvin Meyer | |
Paul Sparks | - | Agent Miller | |
David Jensen | - | Elden | |
Sharon Landry | - | Merrianne (Doak's Wife) | |
Dana Gourrier | - | Sharon Davison (Councelor) | |
Sharon Garrison | - | Jane Adams (Sarah's Mother) | |
Allison King | - | Hannah (Ranch Member) | |
Sean Bridgers | - | Frederick (Ranch Member) |
According to director Jeff Nichols, Adam Driver's first day on set was the same day he got the news he would be in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
Because he wanted final cut of the film, Jeff Nichols originally considered to make the film with an independent film studio rather than at Warner Bros Pictures. It wasn't until his last meeting with Warner Bros that he informed them of this. However, the producers at the company still agreed to make the film, due to the small budget needed for it.
Jeff Nichols wrote the film as a reflection on becoming a father.
Kirsten Dunst wore no make-up in the movie.
The film was shot in 40 days.
This movie's budget is 18 million dollars (USD).
This is Jeff Nichols' fourth film to feature Michael Shannon.
Jeff Nichols's first studio production.
This is the first of two movies directed by Jeff Nichols to come out 2016, the other being Loving, with Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga and Michael Shannon.
At one point in the movie, Jaeden Lieberher asks "What is Kryptonite?" His father in this film is played by Michael Shannon, who recently played General Zod in "Man Of Steel."
Historic New Orleans area (Gretna) supermarket "Casey Jones", which was recently closed, made a brief cameo late in the movie.
Joel Edgerton and Adam Driver have both appeared in the Star Wars films. Edgerton played Luke Skywalker's Uncle, Owen Lars, in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), while Driver played Kylo Ren in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
One of the comic books Alton is reading is New Teen Titans Annual #1 (1982 or reprint), where you can see Starfire & Blackfire fighting each other.
This is the eighth collaboration between actors Michael Shannon and Paul Sparks. Their films together include Blackbird (2007), The Missing Person (2009), Return (2011), Mud (2012) and Midnight Special (2016). They also appeared in the HBO TV series Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014), and have appeared in two stage plays; including Lady (2008) and The Killer (2014).
Warner Bros set the film for November 25, 2015 release, but in July 2015 moved the movie back to March 18, 2016.
Director Jeff Nichols' brother Ben (and his band Lucero) play the title song during the closing credits. Some of the lyrics describe the hidden world ("Now where I'm going Lord only sees", "It was right there before me been there all along, there in the darkness then bright as the dawn, but I couldn't see it"). In the final scene where the father is shackled in jail and staring into the sunlight, the lyrics reflect that image ("There at my feet then I was shackled in irons yearned to be free").
The band Lucero played the title song. In Spanish Lucero means light, a key element in this movie.
Adam Driver refers to the phrase "red sabre". Kylo Ren's lightsaber in Star Wars is also red.
The brother of director Jeff Nichols plays the role of a FBI agent during an interrogation. His name is Scott Everett Nichols.
At one point in the movie Alton is reading a Superman comic book. Like Superman, Alton gains his strength/powers from the sun.
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