Now that “The Bikeriders” is behind him, Jeff Nichols is looking to make a new film. However, according to one of his go-to actors, he’s struggling to find financing.
Michael Shannon, who has appeared in all six of Nichols’ films, tells Variety that times are tough right now for the filmmaker, who can’t seem to secure funding for any of his next projects.
It’s kind of mind-boggling. Jeff has a hard time getting money to make a film. He’s made six films—I would say all of them excellent, some actually magnificent motion pictures. He can’t get the money. Granted, he’s ambitious; he doesn’t want to go and make a $1 million movie. He shouldn’t have to at this point in his career.
Shannon jokingly adds that an account has been set up and says, “If you’d like to see another Jeff Nichols–Michael Shannon movie, please visit our GoFundMe.”
Last I heard, Nichols was gearing up to shoot “Land of Opportunity,” which had Brad Pitt in talks to star. However, Pitt’s schedule forced him to drop out of the project, which then fell apart. At the time, Pitt had only read the script, and his participation was never official.
In the early 2010s, Nichols sold a script to HBO for the pilot episode of a TV series he wrote called Land of Opportunity. It was said to be a dystopian story set in Arkansas, about a new Great Depression where oil has run out and the dollar has collapsed. However, HBO chose not to move forward with the project, and Nichols has now turned it into a feature-length film.
Nichols is the director of “Shotgun Stories,” “Take Shelter,” “Mud,” “Midnight Special,” and “Loving.” His most recent film, “The Bikeriders,” was the weakest of his career and made little impact, earning $21M against a $40M budget, but he surely deserves the opportunity to make another film.