Jeff Nicholsis in Toronto right now, introducing his new civil-rights drama-romanceLoving, following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film won’t hit stateside shores until later this year but Nichols has seemingly already found a new project that would bring him back to the science fiction fold.Deadline reportsthat Nichols is currently in negotiations with 20thCentury Fox to write and direct a new version ofAlien Nation, the 1988 science fiction thriller that took the mismatched buddy cop concept and put an extraterrestrial spin on the formula to mixed results.
The original movie starredJames Caanas a racist cop forced to team with a member of an alien race played byMandy Patinkin, who looked unrecognizable in his liver-spotted bald wig.
The visitors came on a ship carrying 300,000 enslaved aliens and when it crashes on Earth, the newcomers assimilate in the melting pot of California, mostly in Los Angeles.Graham Bakerdirected the film, which also spawned a short-lived 1989 TV series that ended after one season on Fox.
Nichols has dabbled in the sci-fi genre before with his critically acclaimedMidnight Special.And in the Deadline report,Michael Shannons name is suggested as a potential star for the new remake, based on the twos collaborations in the past.
If you’re able to forgive him for his other alien performance in the dreadfulMan of Steel, Shannon could really do something with the role of an alien who must assimilate into a new world.
Image via Warner Bros.
And considering how well they worked together inMidnight Special, one might imagine thatJoel Edgertonwould be a perfect fit for the Caan role, although it’d be nice to see Nichols break out and work with some new actors as well.
We’ll have to wait to find out if Nichols even wants to take on the project, but it’s already one of the bigger deals to be buzzed about at Toronto.
Image via 20th Century Fox
Image via 20th Century Fox
Image via 20th Century Fox
