AUSTIN — A new film starring Willie Nelson had its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival Saturday afternoon.
He stars as a retired vaudeville star in "Waiting for the Miracle to Come."
The movie is about an aspiring trapeze artist who discovers a letter from her deceased father, leading her to Nelson's character Jimmy Riggs and his wife Dixie Riggs, played by Charlotte Rampling.
The director and writer, Lian Lunson, said she wrote the movie for Nelson.
"They don't make humans like Willie Nelson,” Lunson said. “The fact that I got to write something for him, and direct him in a movie. It's just -- incredible."
She adds that directing the film was a dream come true.
“I've always thought he was incredible as a screen actor,” she said. “I hadn't seen him do anything major for a while, and I wanted to make something that was a very different, a child, storybook, fantasy movie."
Lunson said the movie deals with loss, life, miracles and the idea of magic in people lives.
“Willie’s a progressive thinker,” she said. “He’s not like regular human beings. He’s got his mind in the future.”
Lunson said she met Nelson when she was hired to create a video for him; she worked with him in the 90s and show a documentary with him.
The movie was shot on Nelson's ranch in the Spicewood area. Bono is an executive producer for the movie.
It will be screening again at the Galaxy Highland Theater on Monday at 7 p.m.
