Hi °C | Lo °C 
Michael Shannon has revealed that Take Shelter is a "personal" film.
The Boardwalk Empire star, who takes the lead as devoted dad Curtis in Jeff Nichols' apocalyptic drama, admitted that Hollywood may be embracing the genre with films like Melancholia and 2012.
"It does seem to be a trend right now, with Melancholia. I don't have the answer as to why that is happening," he said.
"This is a very personal story for Jeff, and I don't think he wants anybody to think that he has made a political or prescriptive film. He's just trying to express himself and I guess it is just timely."
Michael was drawn to the role in Take Shelter, which opens in cinemas on November 25, because it reflected his own feelings.
"I thought the story was very relevant. I could relate to what Curtis is going through because I just started a family," he explained.
"When you have children, you worry about them a great deal and you worry about your ability to protect them from everything going on in the world. This film is kind of a poetic expression."
He added: "We were on a similar path in life, going from being a young man focused on work to suddenly becoming a patriarch of a family. It's a big leap in a man's life. Also, my father recently passed away, as did Curtis' in the film, and it makes you think what happens to a man when he loses his father."
