Believe it or not, M. Night Shyamalan had his seventh #1 opening weekend at the box office with “Knock At The Cabin” earlier this month. Sure, a box office win in early February isn’t exactly high stakes, but Shyamalan’s latest did finally knock “Avatar: The Way Of Water” out of the top spot—something to be said for that.
As for Shyamalan’s reward for doing so? Deadline reports the director and Warner Bros. Pictures Group now have a new multi-year first-look directing and producing agreement in place. The deal allows Shyamalan and his Blinding Edge Pictures production company to develop original projects that he will produce and/or direct for Warner Bros.
Are there any projects in the pipeline in this deal at the moment? Yes, as a matter of fact. Shyamalan’s next film, “Trap,” will presumably be the first project of the deal, currently slated for an August 2, 2024 theatrical release. But there’s also “The Watchers,” the directorial debut Shyamalan’s daughter, Ishana Night. That project has a June 7, 2024 release date at the moment.
WBPG co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy sound excited about their new deal with Shyamalan. “Night is one of the most iconic and influential directors of his generation and an auteur in every sense of the word,” the pair said in a press 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.”
Shyamalan’s new WB deal cements a mid/late-career comeback for the director after he bottomed out in the early 2010s with flicks like “The Last Airbender” and “After Earth.” Making smaller, more intimate films condensed to a few settings helped the director’s critical turnaround. But critics also love Shyamalan’s Apple TV+ series “Servant,” currently in its fourth and final season. With this new agreement with WB, let’s see if Shyamalan keeps making small-budget features or attempts another blockbuster.
