Overview
Michael Sheen is returning to the screen in a comedy that draws directly on UFO lore in west Wales, a subject he has spoken about before after saying he once saw a strange formation of lights over his hometown of Port Talbot. The new film, Out There, follows a teenage astronomy enthusiast who believes a mysterious sighting over her seaside town is linked to deeper questions about her family, while Sheen plays an eccentric ufologist helping her pursue the truth. The project arrives with a notable personal connection for the actor, who has described Port Talbot as “very UFO-y” after recounting unsettling experiences from his childhood.
The film is set to premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival in August, and features a cast made up largely of Welsh actors. Its story centres on a rebellious 16-year-old who spots a UFO in the sky and enlists both her sceptical best friend and Sheen’s character in a search for answers. Rather than treating the subject with straight-faced science fiction, the production leans into comedy while still drawing on local legend, family history and the atmosphere of a Welsh coastal town.
Sheen’s Own Sighting
Sheen’s involvement adds an unusual layer to the production because he has previously described what he believes he saw in Port Talbot as a child. Speaking on the Scarred For Life podcast in 2025, he recalled being told, at the age of eight, that a neighbour had seen “a UFO hovering over her back garden” when his family returned to the area in 1977 after a spell in Liverpool. He said he accepted the story because the woman was “clearly very sensible,” and it left a lasting impression on him.
He later described a separate episode at age 12, when he said he saw “a phalanx of lights coming from behind the mountain and floating out over the sea.” According to Sheen, the lights appeared to emerge one after another before disappearing over the ocean. “No-one believed me, obviously,” he said. “I have since heard that other people have seen things in Port Talbot, so I think there’s some sort of thing going on there.” Those comments have helped shape the public perception of the actor’s long-running interest in unexplained aerial phenomena.
A Welsh Story With Personal Roots
Director Simon Ryninks, making his debut feature with Out There, said the film “couldn’t ever be set anywhere else” but Wales. He explained that after his mother died, he found himself returning often to west Wales and wanted to write about grief “with humour and a lightness of touch.” That personal thread appears to sit at the heart of the story, which combines themes of loss, memory and family mystery with the playful premise of a UFO hunt.
The film is produced by Tibo Travers of Sweetdoh Films and Katie Dolan of Bad Cat, and stars Nerys Amber Stocks as Maz, the teenage lead who becomes convinced the sighting may hold the key to her father’s disappearance. With its setting rooted in the Welsh landscape and its tone shaped by both local identity and quirky speculation, Out There positions itself as more than a simple alien comedy.
Context and Expectations
The project also reflects a broader appetite for UAP and UFO-themed storytelling that blends humour, folklore and personal testimony rather than spectacle alone. In this case, the production is being framed not just as a comedy but as a story grounded in place, with Port Talbot’s reputation in Sheen’s telling contributing to the mythic quality of the narrative. For audiences, the link between the actor’s reported childhood sighting and his role as an amateur ufologist is likely to be part of the appeal.
As the Edinburgh premiere approaches, Out There will test how well a regional story about grief, adolescence and unexplained lights can connect with viewers beyond Wales. But with Sheen’s name attached — and his own long-circulated account of a possible UFO encounter — the film already has a built-in real-world intrigue that sets it apart from a standard comedy release.
