Despite Its Delay, M. Night Shyamalan Is Still Working On His Next Movie

Glass poster (2019)

The film industry is still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as various productions are still shut down. While it’s unclear as to when things will get moving again, some projects have found ways to continue despite the circumstances. One director who’s still working away is M. Night Shyamalan, who’s upcoming film was recently delayed by Universal Pictures. Nevertheless, he’s still keeping the ball rolling.

Like many of us, M. Night Shyamalan is currently in self-quarantine and practicing social distancing. However, the Glass director recently revealed via social media that he’s begun casting for his new movie. It appears Shyamalan was still able to move ahead with the process with the help of audition tapes:

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This isn’t the only way that M. Night Shyamalan has been working on the film, either. He’s also storyboarding it, which he confirmed in another recent social media post. The two shots that he drew were only his first but, from the sound of it, he seems set to continue while in self-quarantine.

It’s good to see that Shyamalan has still managed to make some kind of progress while staying at home. One can imagine that it must be somewhat frustrating for him not to be able to operate in his usual way. Still, you can’t argue with the way he’s adapted.

As mentioned, Shyamalan isn’t the only filmmaker who’s made progress on a project while in self-quarantine. Kevin Smith recently announced that all of his free time has given him the chance to finish the screenplays for the long-awaited Twilight of the Mallrats and Clerks 3.

Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi is also using the time to keep writing and refine his ideas so that he can come up with the best possible script. He also likes the fact that things don’t feel rushed.

Matt Reeves, the director and co-writer of The Batman, is also using the time to be creative as well as reflective. He sees this free time as a “creative gift” that allows him to sit on his story. Yet with the passing of a crew member due to COVID-19, he’s also taken the time to process the loss and commemorate his colleague’s memory.

The age-old saying, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade” may seem pretty dated, but it perfectly encapsulates what M. Night Shyamalan and his fellow directors are doing. If there’s anything that Shyamalan has particularly shown, it’s that he’s a tenacious creative force who will do what he can for his art. And as Hollywood and the world continue to grapple with this reality, we would do better to take a page out of his book and work with what we’ve got.

As of right now, M. Night Shyamalan’s next film is untitled and has not yet been given a new release date.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.