Chris Pine Throwing His Name in the 'Mud' for Director Jeff Nichols

Source: 24 Frames

Though most audiences have only seen him on screen as Captain Kirk in 2009's Star Trek franchise reboot or in the Speed on a train action flick Unstoppable, actor Chris Pine has some dramatic chops that he's been stretching on the stage. He's starred in Farragut North, the political play being adapted into a film called The Ides of March by George Clooney, and now Pine is looking to team-up with Shotgun Stories and Take Shelter director Jeff Nichols for a new drama called Mud. The story follows two 14-year old boys who come across a fugitive named Mud (Pine) and must help him escape an island in the Mississippi.

Of course, as unsavory as a character Mud may seem, there's redemption in there somewhere, and he ends up teaching the boys just as much as he learns from them. 24 Frames says the film has drawn comparison to Huckleberry Finn, but the story itself takes place in a contemporary setting. As of right now Pine is only in talks for the role and since news of this project is coming out of Cannes, there's a chance it may not even come together at all. However, a director who has helmed powerful indies like Shotgun Stories and Take Shelter working with a big name like Pine could certainly wield positive results on the festival circuit. Personally, I'm very much looking forward to Pine's talents outside of mainstream blockbusters.