Warner Bros. Pictures Group has signed a multiyear first-look directing and producing agreement with two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy announced on Thursday.
Under the new agreement, Shyamalan and his Philly-based production company Blinding Edge Pictures, run by president of production Ashwin Rajan, will develop original projects for the filmmaker to produce and/or direct for WBPG production divisions Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.
Projects currently in the pipeline at Blinding Edge include “Trap,” Shyamalan’s much-anticipated next project as a director which is dated for a theatrical release on August 2, 2024 and “The Watchers,” the forthcoming directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan, which will commence production this year and is slated for a June 7, 2024 release.
In addition, Blinding Edge will continue to ramp up its production with an eye to finding auteur driven genre projects.
“Night is one of the most iconic and influential directors of his generation and an auteur in every sense of the word,” De Luca and Abdy said jointly in a 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.”
“Where I write and direct is my home,” Shyamalan added. “Disney and Universal, where I’ve made most of my films, will always be home and family to me. Warner Bros. has a storied history of cinema. Through its recent experiences, the company has rediscovered its love and appreciation for filmmakers, and the impact of the theatrical experience. We all win when movies succeed in theaters. I believe David Zaslav, Michael De Luca, and Pam Abdy have dedicated themselves to unique filmmakers, and to filling theaters all around the world for years to come.”
Deadline first reported the news.
