Skip to main content

Michael Shannon goes to extremes to save his powerful son in new Midnight Special trailer

Most parents believe they’ll do anything to protect their children, and one father has to prove it in the upcoming sci-fi thriller Midnight Special. Warner Bros. has released a new trailer, showing the extraordinary lengths the man goes to as his son’s special powers are discovered.

The movie follows the father (played by Michael Shannon) and his son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), as they go on the run to elude both religious extremists and local law enforcement, as well as to enable the father to find answers. Before they know it, though, they’re at the center of a massive manhunt, with even the federal government involved. Based on the trailer, the film will be both action-packed and emotional.

Recommended Videos

The preview also focuses on Alton’s powers. “What do you know about Alton Meyer?” we hear as the trailer begins. Multiple people answer, describing strange occurrences involving the boy, from things breaking to cars shutting down unexpectedly to visions that seem to have been planted by him. Word of mouth isn’t all we get, though; we see lights shake and crash down, he makes his hand glow, and more.

The film unites a talented cast, co-starring Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, and Sam Shepard, in addition to Shannon and Lieberher, actors whose credits include films like Revolutionary Road, the TV series FargoStar Wars: The Force Awakens, and more. Jeff Nichols, who directed and wrote the critically acclaimed films Mud and Take Shelter, again serves as writer and director. With Midnight Special, Nichols brought back actors he clearly knew and liked, including Shepard, who starred in Mud, and Shannon, who had roles in both films.

Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones produce, while Glen Basner, Hans Graffunder, and Christos V. Konstantakopoulos serve as executive producers.

Midnight Special is set for limited release on March 18.

Stephanie Topacio Long
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
5 great free movies to watch on Thanksgiving
A man wearing a garbage bag stands across from a girl.

Thanksgiving has morphed into an important holiday for television. It all starts with the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, live from New York City on Thursday morning. Stay on NBC after the parade to watch the 2024 National Dog Show. Finally, the NFL will have three games, ending with the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers in primetime.

If none of those events pique your interest, no worries! There are endless movies to watch on a variety of streaming services. If you're looking to save some money, sign up for a FAST streaming service, where you can watch ad-supported movies for free. Below are some of our recommendations, which include a Thanksgiving classic comedy and an unconventional rom-com.

Read more
5 great Disney+ movies to watch this Thanksgiving
Mila Kunis and James Franco in Oz the Great and Powerful.

Disney+ may not offer the wide selection of originals that it once had, but it still has one of the most impressive collections of family-friendly movies in the streaming-verse. In other words, Disney+ is an excellent choice if you're looking for movies to watch this Thanksgiving.

There are so many to choose from that it's hard to go wrong, especially if you love animated films. For this year's list of five great Disney+ movies to watch this Thanksgiving, we're going with three animated flicks as well as two live-action films that share a connection to one of the top movies currently playing in theaters.

Read more
If you have to watch one movie this Thanksgiving, stream this one
A family poses for a picture in Home for the Holidays.

We all have different opinions about what is the ideal movie to watch over Thanksgiving. For some, they want a cheerful, sappy movie like The Family Stone that reminds them of the warm bonds of family. For others, they want to be taken away from reality with fantasy movies like any of the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movies.

For misanthropes like me, I prefer to watch a movie that reflects the messiness the holiday inevitably brings. When it was released in the fall of 1995, Jodie Foster's Home for the Holidays didn't cause much of a stir. Despite being directed by a two-time Oscar winner and starring Holly Hunter (who has just won an Oscar for 1993's The Piano), Anne Bancroft (The Graduate's Mrs. Robinson), Claire Danes (hot off of My So-Called Life), and Robert Downey Jr. (the future Tony Stark), the movie flopped at the box office. Almost 30 years later, its cultural footprint is largely the same -- non-existent.

Read more