Universal Pictures Teams with Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan on Two New Original Thrillers

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA—September 16, 2019—Universal Pictures today announced two new projects from writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan.  Following Universal’s highly successful partnership with the filmmaker on films including The Visit, Split and Glass, the studio plans to release the first Untitled M. Night Shyamalan Thriller on Friday, February 26, 2021 and the second on Friday, February 17, 2023.

 

“M. Night Shyamalan continues to create exciting, highly original stories that keep global audiences on the edge of their seats,” said Peter Cramer, President, Universal Pictures.  “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.”    

“There are wonderful studios out there, but Universal has made it a mandate to release original films,” said Shyamalan.  “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.”

       

Shyamalan’s high-concept content has consistently captured the attention of audiences around the world for nearly two decades, having amassed more than $3.3 billion worldwide.  His most recent Universal project, Glass, the culmination of his Eastrail 177 Trilogy, garnered nearly $250 million worldwide and opened No. 1 at the box office, remaining in the top spot for three weeks.  Split, the second film in the epic series, also debuted at No. 1 and remained there for three weeks in a row during its 2017 release, while 2015’s The Visit brought in close to $100 million at the worldwide box office and was one of the highest-grossing horror films of the year.  Having independently financed the three films with a combined production budget of $35 million, Glass, Split and The Visit went on to cumulatively gross more than $600 million worldwide.  He will similarly finance his next two films.

Shyamalan is awaiting release on Servant, a new 10-episode, half-hour psychological thriller series that will debut on AppleTV+, the tech giant’s highly-anticipated streaming platform.  In addition to executive producing the series, Shyamalan directed two episodes, including the pilot.