Following the announcement that Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon would be heading up the cast of Jeff Nichols' Mud, here comes news of six more names for the list. [Michael Shannon, Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon, Joe Don Baker and Paul Sparks](http://a beautiful story with rich characters learning valuable lessons through life-changing circumstances.) have all signed on for a spot of coming-of-age drama.
The film revolves around the titular recluse, discovered hiding out in Mississippi by two teenage boys. They opt to help him evade the long arm of the law and reunite with Juniper, the love of his life, but there's trouble on the way in the form of both cops and bounty hunters.
McConaughey is Mud and Witherspoon is Juniper, with one of the boys being played by Tree of Life's Tye Sheridan. Shannon starred in Nichols' festival hit Take Shelter, along with his previous Shotgun Stories, so it's no great surprise to see him on board for this one. He's playing Galen, the uncle of one of the boys. Paulson and McKinnon are the parents of the other.
Baker and Sparks are on the side of the hunters, and Shepard is playing another recluse, called Tom Blankenship. There are a lot of recluses out there, it seems. They should start a club. It'd be like that Bill Hicks routine:
"People who hate people, come together!"
"No!"
Nichols is directing his own screenplay, which producer Lisa Maria Falcone says is, "a beautiful story with rich characters learning valuable lessons through life-changing circumstances." Production started this week, with the IMDb currently listing a release sometime in 2013. Take Shelter is out in the UK on November 25.