Beyond the Gates breakout star Mike Manning has a new supernatural drama being released this month which just might be your next Unexpected Treasures.
The film recently premiered at the San Diego Comic Con where Buzz Worthy RadiosNa’Vell Lee caught up with Manning and interviewed him about the film.
Manning described the film as “a science fiction movie where I play Sam, the resident alien.” The movie was filmed and takes place in Joshua Tree, California. Manning went on to explain, “basically in the film you have an alien and a Joshua Tree local. The alien is looking for a spaceship. The Joshua Tree local is sort of stuck in a rut and their paths cross and they help each other relearn how beautiful humanity is.
Examining his character, Manning explained “I liken him to the golden retriever of aliens. He loves you so much and there’s no reason why.”
The actor explained how his character is just a positive presence in the world. “He just loves you and he’s so full of love and if he had a tail it’d be wagging all the time.”
Unlike other roles that the actor has portrayed covering heavier subject matter, his character Sam was a lot more lighthearted. Manning shared how it was leaving set, “I remember leaving set every single day, filming a Joshua Tree, just feeling good about it.”
Manning explained how he relates to Sam sharing, “Although the world tries to beat us down I have not allowed that to dampen my view of humans, I think humans are amazing they’re capable of amazing things and that is the main message of this movie and I was just happy that they chose me to be their alien.”
Manning also recently spoke with Digital Journal promoting the film.
Discussing the role “It’s not every day that I get to play a comedic role in a quirky alien drama like ‘Unexpected Treasures’ so it was a really great experience.”
The actor shared what it was like working with his co-star Olivia Blue, sharing “Olivia is the kindest soul, she has so much depth to her as a human being.”
The actor added that this chemistry that they had was all genuine and came from set. Adding, “It was really fun to discover a lot of the chemistry on set. We didn’t hang out before shooting on purpose because my character is supposed to be really genuine and idealistic,” he noted.
What is Unexpected Treasure About?
Unexpected Treasures is officially described as: Set against the mystical backdrop of the Mojave Desert, Unexpected Treasures follows Hartley (Olivia Blue), a down-on-her-luck desert dweller who stumbles upon Sam (Manning), a charming alien fugitive. Together, they race to outrun an alien bounty hunter, unlock ancient prophecies, and discover that true connection often comes from the most unexpected places.
The film is directed by John Paul Ungaretti who co-wrote the movie with Christina Heller.
Unexpected Treasures will be available for purchase or rental on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+ on Friday, September 19, 2025.
