M. Night Shyamalan has signed a multi-year first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Studio executives have finalised a directing and producing agreement with the Knock at the Cabin filmmaker which would require Shyamalan and his production company Blinding Edge Pictures to develop original projects for Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema, potentially for the director himself to helm.

“Night is one of the most iconic and influential directors of his generation and an auteur in every sense of the word,” Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy commented in a joint statement to Deadline. “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 theatre.”

The pair continued, “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.”

Shyamalan added, “Where I write and direct is my home. 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.”

He concluded, “We all win when movies succeed in theatres. I believe David Zaslav, Michael De Luca, and Pam Abdy have dedicated themselves to unique filmmakers, and to filling theatres all around the world for years to come.”

Blinding Edge’s upcoming projects include Shyamalan’s next feature, Trap, which will be released in August 2024, and The Watchers, his daughter Ishana’s directorial debut, which has been scheduled for June 2024.

© Cover Media