M. Night Shyamalan has confirmed two new movies for Universal Pictures.
The 49-year-old filmmaker – best known for the likes of ‘The Sixth Sense’, ‘Signs’ and ‘The Village’ – is set to write and produce a pair of untitled supernatural thrillers for the studio with planned release dates of February 26, 2021 and February 17, 2023 respectively.
Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer said: "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."
Meanwhile, Shyamalan – who is currently working on 10-episode psychological thriller ‘Servant’ for AppleTV Plus – heaped praise on the partnership due to the studios dedication to "original films".
He explained: "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."
Meanwhile, Shyamalan previously admitted he cried when he heard that ‘Glass’ – a sequel to ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Split’ and is the final chapter in his ‘Eastrail 177’ trilogy – had taken a critical beating.
He said: "I was in London when I heard the US reviews for ‘Glass’ were poor, I was in a make-up chair for a TV show, and I cried."
He went on to explain that the first reaction to the film – which ended up making nearly $247 million worldwide – were overwhelmingly positive and meant he was even more upset when he received his negative feedback because he wasn’t "prepared" for it.
He continued: "We’d just come back from the London screenings, which were through the roof. We had only great screenings of the movie around the world. So essentially I wasn’t prepared.
"I had this false sense of being a part of the group in a safe way. But boy, did I feel distraught that day."
M Night Shyamalan confirms two new films for Universal
