There has been something of a “Shyamalan-aissance” recently. When ‘Split’ hit theaters in 2016, M. Night Shyamalan was once again the talk of the town when he managed to make it a secret sequel to ‘Unbreakable.’ But to cap that off, he completed the trilogy, bringing the worlds of both movies together with ‘Glass’ earlier this year. Regardless of what people thought of the trilogy capper, it was impressive that he managed to will a nearly 20 year trilogy (and fund it himself) into existence.
Now, Shyamalan has booked his next two thrillers with Universal. He will continue to fund his own movies, which will be released February 26, 2021, and February 17, 2023. There are no plot details for either film.
Universal Pictures President Peter Cramer had this to say about his continued partnership with Shyamalan:
“M. Night Shyamalan continues to create exciting, highly original stories that keep global audiences on the edge of their seats. There is no one like him. He is a master filmmaker working at the height of his powers, and we are honored that he has once again chosen Universal to be the home for his next two incredible projects.”
Shyamalan was just as complimentary about Universal as they were to him:
“There are wonderful studios out there, but Universal has made it a mandate to release original films. They are the best at finding an audience for new stories with unexpected tones. I believe original films are crucial to the longevity of the theatrical experience. I am so excited to be working with them again and bringing new stories to the movie screen for years to come.”
With Universal being the studio that released his last few movies, they already had a very fruitful partnership. To see that partnership continue is not all that surprising.
Shyamalan can be hit and miss, but when he hits, there is nobody better. It will be interesting to see how these next two movies shape up, and if they are standalones, or secret sequels to some of his other projects. In the meantime, he directed two episodes of the Apple TV+ series ‘Servant,’ premiering this December.