Interview: Midnight Special’s Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst & Joel Edgerton

Not unlike last week’s 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, Jeff Nichols‘ MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is a sci-fi movie sure to divide many genre fans. Some will see it as lacking in big, splashy action sequences and/or scares, while others will dig its methodical pace and focus on character over spectacle. It’s certainly not your typical studio fare (Warner Bros. will release on March 18th before expanding nationwide March 25th), but brainy science-fiction is always welcome around these parts.

In the film, Michael Shannon plays Roy, an intense man who kidnaps his birth son Alton (Jaedan Lieberher) from the cult-like compound they live in when the boy begins displaying otherworldly tendencies, like emitting a powerful light from his eyes. Is the kid an alien? A messiah? Something else entirely? A long road trip to a specific destination will tell the tale. I spoke to Shannon recently about the unusual project, which finds him working with Jeff Nichols for the fourth time, his collaboration with young Lieberher, how much preparation goes into a movie like this, and more.

Shannon’s Roy isn’t alone on his quest to deliver Alton to his destiny. Along for the ride are Lucas, played by Joel Edgerton, and Sarah, played by Kirsten Dunst. Lucas is Roy’s childhood friend who gets swept up in the man’s journey, as does Sarah, who is the boy’s estranged mother. Speaking to Edgerton and Dunst, I learned more about their characters, the makeshift family they created on set, and what sci-fi films they consider personal favorites.