Jeff Nichols was just at the Telluride Film Festival last weekend for the world premiere of his upcoming film, “The Bikeriders.” And while he was there, the director hopped on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast to talk about his new movie, failed pitches for projects like “Aquaman,” and other topics. That includes “Alien Nation,” a long-gestating project of Nichols’ that never panned out (and is the reason for seven years between “The Bikeriders” and 2016’s “Loving” and “Midnight Special“) but came closer to being made than anyone realizes.
Nichols opened up about “Alien Nation” falling through the cracks on the podcast when he told the hosts that working on I.P. no longer interests him that much. Part of that is because “Alien Nation” not working out hit the director hard. “It was a heartbreaker. It’s one of the reasons it’s taken me so long to make another film. I spent four years on that, and we were at the one-yard line,” he explained of the film all prepped and set to shoot, the plug apparently being pulled at the last minute. “I had a cast, we were ready to go, but the universe didn’t want me to make that right then.”
For those out there wondering why Nichols’ comments about I.P. being contradictory with him making an “Alien Nation” movie, there’s a reason for that. Nichols’ film is actually an original story that he wrote that the studio wanted to graft the “Alien Nation” branding on it because it was a property they owned, and the I.P. has some cache. “It’s interesting because that was an original story I crafted, and [the studio] wanted me to put the “Alien Nation” title on it,” he explained. So even under the aegis of “Alien Nation” brand, the project is an original one by Nichols.
And there’s good news about the project: Nichols’ script “Alien Nation” is now at another studio, which makes it getting made much more likely. “Fortunately now, that script, without that title, has gone over to Paramount, and after the strike lifts, I can get back to work on it,” he said (it’s likely this project reported on in 2021). “And it’s kind of amazing working on something for so long because I built this entire alien species and all these other things.”
So what’s the script about? Nichols said it takes place in Arkansas, and added it would be big and expensive. “[The script] actually feels like one of my films,” he stressed, about the way it’s of major scale but still feels intimate and like a familiar piece of his signature work. ”But it might cost a lot of money. So it could be the worst experience of my life, I dunno, but I’d love to make that film.”
Nichols didn’t mention the original cast he lined up when he almost made the movie, but revealed that, duh, his longtime buddy Michael Shannon is in it. But Nichols may or may not have to start over with casting; it’s unclear at this point. “We’ll see,” said the director. But if Nichols manages to film the script, he’ll do it as an original film and not as a ten-episode series for Disney.
As for “The Bikeriders,” Nichols’ latest hits theaters on December 1. Read The Playlist’s review of the film out of Telluride here.
