Perhaps the biggest surprise on the Cannes 2012 line-up was Jeff Nichols‘ Mud. Having just released Take Shelter last year, his follow-up is ready, a drama which stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon and The Tree of Life‘s Tye Sheridan. The first look at the latter star, much grown up after his Terrence Malick debut, has arrived via Allocine and one can see the photos below.

The film follows a dangerous yet charismatic fugitive named Mud (McConaughey) on the run from some very serious bounty hunters and is helped by two fourteen-year-old boys living near the Mississippi River. Nichols shared the style is “kind of like if Sam Peckinpah directed a short story by Mark Twain.”

Sheridan plays one of the boys named Ellis and newcomer Jacob Lofland, who was picked after around 2,000 others auditioned, plays Neckbone, both seen below. Sheridan looks to rekindle his free spirit found in Malick’s film with this role and I’m greatly looking forward to see what Nicholas has in store. The film also stars Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon, Joe Don Baker, and Paul Sparks.

Cannes kicks off on May 16th, with distribution for Mud to hopefully follow soon after.