M. Night Shyamalan has now completed his poorly-titled Eastrail 177 Trilogy (or preferably known as the Unbreakable Trilogy), and is now moving onto his next original genre project at Universal. Per Collider, he’s already got someone in mind as Hereditary star Alex Wolff is in talks for a lead role in the film.
Plot details are, unsurprisingly, being kept under wraps. But Collider’s sources indicate that Wolff’s role is likely once again for the film’s third lead, the same sort of role he occupied in Hereditary behind Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne.
Shyamalan is also reportedly in talks with other rising stars for the project. Jojo Rabbit‘s Thomasin McKenzie and Phantom Thread breakout star Vicky Krieps are in negotiations for unknown roles, possibly the other two leads, while the director is also talking to Eliza Scanlen (Little Women) and Aaron Pierre (Krypton).
This is the first of two original thrillers Shyamalan signed on to make with Universal last September. They’re currently scheduled for February 26, 2021 and February 17, 2023, respectively. Those release dates will likely be pushed back due to the coronavirus, although is has been speculated that Shyamalan’s film could end up being the first project to be shot in full once restrictions are lifted.
Glass, Shyamalan’s last film, grossed almost $250 million worldwide. He has essentially self-financed his last three movies in a quest to escape the creative rut he found himself in during the late-2000s/early-2010s, citing the need to take risks again, and that decision has paid off handsomely.
He’s also thankfully committed to creating original films, which he has deemed “crucial to the longevity of the theatrical experience”. He’s most recently coming off the Apple TV+ series Servant.
If all the aforementioned actors sign on, that would be an impressive cast of up-and-coming talent for Shyamalan to work with. We’ll now wait on more details regarding the film. Hopefully some plot details will turn up soon enough.
#Peace.Love.Shyamalan
