M. Night Shyamalan looks to have his sights set on his next mysterious project and looks to have found some high-profile talent to collaborate with. Sources tell Deadline Jake Gyllenhaal is set to star in M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming film, a supernatural romantic thriller, based on an original story co-created by Shyamalan and global-bestselling novelist Nicholas Sparks. Shyamalan and Sparks are independently writing a screenplay and a novel, respectively, based on the same original love story.
Both projects will be based on the same concept and set of characters, but tailored to their respective mediums. Shyamalan and Ashwin Rajan will produce through Blinding Edge Pictures, alongside Sparks’ longtime producing partner Theresa Park and Marc Bienstock. Sparks is Executive Producer. Shyamalan’s Blinding Edge Pictures will produce the film, which is in discussions with WB for theatrical release.
For Gyllenhaal, this follows a stellar year that started with his hit reinvention of the classic action pic Road House at Amazon MGM Studios. The film was a massive hit for the studio breaking streaming records with a sequel already in development. He followed that up with the critically acclaimed limited series Presumed Innocent for Apple TV+, another hit that earned him a Golden Globe nomination. This year he will share the stage starting next month with Denzel Washington in a adaptation of Othello on Broadway.
Shyamalan has captured the attention of audiences around the world for almost two decades, creating films that have amassed more than $3 billion worldwide as is coming off another summer hit with his thriller Trap starring Josh Hartnett.
Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times best-sellers, with over 130 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 92 million copies in the United States alone. His latest novel, Counting Miracles , released this fall and debuted at #1 on the NY Times best-sellers list. It will be adapted into a film by Amazon.
Gyllenhaal is represented by WME and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
Shyamalan is repped by Range Media Partners, WME and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Sparks is represented by Celeste Fine of Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management, Howie Sanders at Anonymous Content, attorney Scott E. Schwimer.
