How does one follow up one of the best cinematic surprises of the year? That’s the question looming over Midnight Special director Jeff Nichols, who is poised to debut his second feature film of 2016 in the form of Loving.
Drawing praise following its premiere at Cannes Film Festival earlier in the year (our review), Nichols’ latest creative venture is a civil rights drama at its core, chronicling the harrowing journey of interracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving – played here by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, respectively.
Based on a true story, the Loving drama went on to become a landmark case in the United States Supreme Court, and it’ll be fascinating to see how Nichols – who, remember, is coming off an old-school science fiction flick – handles the radical shift to realism.
Also starring Martin Csokas, Nick Kroll and Michael Shannon – reuniting with the director after both Take Shelter and Midnight Special – Loving is set for theatrical release on November 4. That’s proving to be quite the busy corridor, with Doctor Strange, Trolls, Hacksaw Ridge and Miles Teller boxing pic Bleed For This all booked in for the same date.
From acclaimed writer/director Jeff Nichols, “Loving” celebrates the real-life courage and commitment of an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred Loving (Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga), who married and then spent the next nine years fighting for the right to live as a family in their hometown. Their civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1967 reaffirmed the very foundation of the right to marry – and their love story has become an inspiration to couples ever since.
