AceShowbiz -

Warner Bros. has released the first trailer for director Jeff Nichols' sci-fi thriller "Midnight Special". The movie centers on a father who goes on the run from religious extremists and local law enforcement in order to protect his eight-year-old son who has mysterious supernatural abilities.

Michael Shannon stars as Roy, the father desperate to save his uniquely-gifted son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), from the threats of people who just don't understand the truth behind the boy's superpowers. Roy risks everything to protect his son and uncover the truth. Joel Edgerton and Adam Driver's characters, who appear to be government academics or maybe researchers, attempt to both interrogate and protect the boy.

Nichols previously revealed his inspirations for the movie while also explaining briefly about the film. "The son happens to have unique gifts. It's a weird word to use, but his gifts are, um, supernatural. 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', 'E.T.', 'Starman', they were my inspirations - very propulsive journeys that work when you can't predict what's going to happen next," Nichols revealed. "This is my sci-fi chase film."

Joining Shannon in the cast are Kirsten Dunst and Sam Shepard. Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones produce the sci-fi movie which is due to open in North America on March 18, 2016.