Fans of Jeff Nichols’ 2011 film “Take Shelter” may be slightly disappointed to hear they'll have to wait a bit longer to see the director’s latest. “Mud” stars Matthew McConaughey (continuing his remarkable career turnaround) as the eponymous fugitive who forms an unlikely friendship with a pair of Arkansas teens who help him evade capture and reunite with his soulmate Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Oh, and this being a Jeff Nichols movie, Michael Shannon also stars – no surprise there.
Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions look set to secure the U.S. distribution rights to the film, which played in competition at the Cannes Film Festival this spring, and has already hit theaters in France. The distributors are eyeing a 2013 release date for "Mud," and they’ll no doubt be hoping to eclipse the modest $1.7million domestic take for "Take Shelter" with names like McConaughey and Witherspoon attached. They’ll likely be watching how “Killer Joe” fares as well, as it continues to slowly expand.
We caught “Mud” at Cannes and were slightly underwhelmed considering the strength of the director’s previous picture, and awarded it only a passing C grade. Well, you'll now need to wait until next year to see if you agree with our man on the ground. As for Nichols, he's already moving on and is hard at work on his fourth feature “The Boy Who Played With Fusion.” [Variety]