For the few who loved the atmospheric, reserved, and tense Southern 2007 revenge-flick “Shotgun Stories,” word has been quiet on what director Jeff Nichols was up to next. For a while there was the gestating project “Goat,” based off a memoir by Brad Land with Michael Shannon attached to star, but progress on that one seems to be at a stand-still.
A little digging and an interview actor Michael Shannon did with /Film popped up, and he mentions wanting to do “Shelter” and speaks a bit on what was going on with “Goat.” “There was was a lot of motion on it at one point and then it just slowed, so we’re both suddenly more interested in this project called ‘Shelter.'” We guess there’s not really much more to be said about the latter until it gets going. It’s a shame because it certainly sounds promising, following a character that is struggling to “recover from a brutal attack that occured while he pledged to a fraternity.” Reviews of the book describe it as ugly and lonely, seemingly right up both Shannon and Nichols’s alley, however it’s unclear who the actor would play — honestly, he’s a bit old to be playing a college student — but we won’t find out more on this one for awhile, it seems.
As for “Shelter,” the director hopes for a 2011 festival premiere. “Shotgun Stories” had a good run in 2007 with appearances in the Berlin Internation Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, and Tribeca to name a few; the film was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. The duo proved a formidable team with “Shotgun Stories” and we can’t wait to see what they’ve conjured up here.
