Warner Bros. Pictures has sealed a multi-year first-look directing and producing agreement with M. Night Shyamalan, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker of Split, Knock at the Cabin, and The Sixth Sense fame.
The announcement was made today by Warner Bros. Pictures Group Co-Chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy.
Under the new agreement, Shyamalan and his Philly-based production company Blinding Edge Pictures will develop original projects for the filmmaker to produce and/or direct for WBPG production divisions Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.
Projects currently in development at Blinding Edge include Trap, a Shyamalan-directed thriller set for theatrical release on August 2, 2024, and The Watchers, slated for a June 7, 2024 release.
In addition, Blinding Edge will continue to ramp up its production with an eye to finding auteur driven genre projects.
“Night is one of the most iconic and influential directors of his generation and an auteur in every sense of the word,” De Luca and Abdy said in joint statement. “From The Sixth Sense through Split to his latest chiller Knock at the Cabin, he’s one of the few directors in contemporary cinema whose name alone promises a bold, singular vision, compelling original storytelling and a provocative, surprising and entirely unique experience at the theater. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome him to the Warner Bros. family, and look forward to an exciting collaboration with Night and the entire Blinding Edge team.”
“Where I write and direct is my home,” says Shyamalan. “Disney and Universal, where I’ve made most of my films, will always be home and family to me. Warner Bros. has a storied history of cinema. Through its recent experiences, the company has rediscovered its love and appreciation for filmmakers, and the impact of the theatrical experience. We all win when movies succeed in theaters. I believe David Zaslav, Michael De Luca, and Pam Abdy have dedicated themselves to unique filmmakers, and to filling theaters all around the world for years to come.”
In 1999 Shyamalan shot to stardom with his third film, The Sixth Sense, a haunting ghost story about a little boy who can see dead people, and featuring what would become a trademark twist from Shyamalan in the closing moments. The Sixth Sense went on to earn nearly $700 billion at the worldwide box office and six Oscar nominations, including directing and original screenplay nods for Shyamalan.
Shyamalan’s body of work also includes Old, Signs, The Village, and the Unbreakable, Split, and Glass trilogy.
Shyamalan also serves as executive producer, showrunner of Apple+ TV’s thriller series Servant, currently in its fourth and final season.
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