Disney Puts Jeff Nichols' 'Alien Nation' Remake On Hold
That remake of '80s sci-fi thriller "Alien Nation" from the director of "Midnight Special" and Take Shelter"? Don't hold your breath for it.
Three months after Disney acquired Fox, it's put the remake of the Fox film on hold. It's not outright canceled, like "The Mouse Guard," but its status is uncertain.
Jeff Nichols signed on to write and direct the project in 2016. That deal was announced two days before Nichols’ "Loving" premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. "Loving" would go on to earn Oscar nominations for lead Ruth Negga, Golden Globe noms for her and Joel Edgerton and Independent Spirit Award nods for her and Nichols.
Nichols was going to re-team with "Loving" producers Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Sarah Greene for the sci-fi remake. No cast had yet been announced, although it's likely he might have turned to frequent leading man Michael Shannon.
The original "Alien Nation" starred James Caan as an LAPD officer paired with an alien (Mandy Patinkin), a member of the enslaved alien race called the Newcomers.
"Alien Nation," which was produced by Gale Anne Hurd and Richard Kobritz, was a moderate success with a $25 million gross. A spinoff TV series ran from 1989-90.
[Via Variety]