If there’s ever someone booked and busy, it would be M. Night Shyamalan. The filmmaker keeps making big moves, and his latest could be his most significant.
Deadline reports Shyamalan has penned a multi-year first-look directing and producing agreement with Warner Bros Pictures. The part of a recent string of deals by Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy in an attempt to get new talent on board.
“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 jointly. “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.”
The outlet notes, “Shyamalan and 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.”
This move comes after Shyamalan had now-iconic distribution runs with Disney and Universal; The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village were all from Buena Vista Pictures, and his recent hits like The Visit, Split, Glass, Old, and Knock at the Cabin come from Universal. Though, this isn’t the filmmaker’s first time running with WB, as the studio distributed the infamous Lady in the Water.
“Where I write and direct is my home,” says Shyamalan in a new statement. “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.”
SEE ALSO: It’s Long Overdue to Hail M. Night Shyamalan as One of the Great Filmmakers
Shyamalan already has big plans for his new home, setting up a 2024 release with a film called Trap.
