Ishana Night Shyamalan is stepping behind the camera for her first feature, The Watchers, which New Line has picked up in a bidding war. It has a release date of June 7, 2024.
Shyamalan will write and direct the feature, based on A.M. Shine’s novel, which according to the log-line, centers on “Mina, a 28-year old artist who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers that are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.”
The filmmaker, who is the daughter of director M. Night Shyamalan, cut her teeth helming episodes of Servant, the Apple TV+ series created by her father. M. Night Shyamalan previously teased the project, telling THR his daughter would shoot her feature debut this year.
In addition to Servant, the younger Shyamalan, who is M. Night’s middle daughter, did second unit directing on Old, her father’s 2021 feature, and his new film, Knock at the Cabin.
M. Night Shymalan and Ashwin Rajan will produce via Blinding Edge Pictures. Nimitt Mankad of Inimitable Pictures will also produce, and Jo Homewood will executive produce.
“We couldn’t be more excited to make Ishana’s first film with The Watchers. Equal parts visual, immersive, and terrifying, the script grips you from the first page and never lets go,” said Richard Brener, president and CCO, New Line Cinema.
