Michael Shannon, Shepard and Paulson Stained with ‘Mud’

Jeff Nichols’ muse Michael Shannon, Take Shelter player Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson (whose stock significantly rose with Martha Marcy May Marlene) and the busier than ever Sam Shepard have signed onto Mud – Nichols third feature film which began shooting today in his native Arkansas. Shepard will play the reclusive character of ‘Tom Blankenship.’ Shannon will play ‘Galen,’ the uncle of one of the boys, and Paulson and McKinnon will play the parents of the other. Baker and Sparks are figures who are out for revenge. Joe Don Baker and Paul Sparks complete the supporting cast.

Gist: This is about two fourteen-year-old boys who encounter a mysterious fugitive (McConaughey) hiding out on an island in the Mississippi. Intrigued by this man, they enter into a pact to help him evade capture and reconnect with the love of his life named Juniper (Witherspoon). Though it is hard for the boys to discern truth from fiction when it comes to Mud, it isn’t long until their small Arkansas town is besieged by a beautiful girl with a line of hunters in tow.

Worth Noting: After hitting Sundance, Cannes and TIFF, Take Shelter, one of the best critically reviewed films of the year finally hits theaters at the end of this week.  

Do We Care?: We’ve been on the Nichols’ bandwagon since Shotgun Stories (here’s our 2008 interview with the filmmaker) and his sophomore film only delivered in spades. Look for this to be among our most anticipated films for 2012.