The original envisioned a world where enslaved aliens, who crash-landed on earth, try to make a new life for themselves.
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Alien Nation followed a human policeman, played James Caan, who teams up with an alien, played by Homeland’s Mandy Patinkin, who is the first extraterrestrial detective. It’s a pretty great film and was something of a hit.
The film’s themes of racism and multiculturalism were strong enough to spawn a TV series that was canceled after one season (due to budgetary issues at Fox), but it has kept a cult-following ever since, through TV movies, comic book, and novel adaptations.
But the young filmmaker likes to keep busy, his eye always seemingly elsewhere, and now he has his sights set on a remake of 1988’s Alien Nation, according to Deadline. As was reported by Variety this morning, the remake has found its director. Their case became a landmark civil rights victory when the Supreme Court invalidated state laws preventing interracial marriage. Or perhaps Fox just saw what Nichols was doing with Loving, and said “yeah, let’s have that”. Aside from his recent foray into sci-fi, he is also known for the Matthew McConaughey indie Mud and the Michael Shannon apocalyptic drama Take Shelter.
Nichols is reteaming with “Loving” producers Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Sara Greene for the new “Alien Nation” movie.
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Nichols is repped by CAA, Rise and Bloom Hergott.
