View source for M. Night Shyamalan

{{Short description|American filmmaker}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = M. Night Shyamalan
| image              = M. Night Shyamalan by Gage Skidmore.jpg
|alt=Shyamalan smiling
| caption            = Shyamalan in 2016
| birth_name         = Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1970|8|6}}
| birth_place        = [[Mahé, India|Mahé]], Pondicherry, India
| alma_mater         = [[New York University]]
| nationality        = American<ref name=bio2 />
| occupation         = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter|producer|actor}}
| years_active       = 1992–present
| works              = [[M. Night Shyamalan filmography|Full list]]
| spouse             = {{marriage|Bhavna Vaswani|1992}}
| children           = 3, including [[Saleka]]
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by M. Night Shyamalan|Full list]]
| honors             = [[Padma Shri]] (2008)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/padma-shri-brings-night-to-town/articleshow/3019932.cms|title=Padma Shri brings Night to town &#124; India News – Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=May 8, 2008 }}</ref>
}}
'''Manoj Nelliyattu {{nobold|"}}M. Night{{nobold|"}} Shyamalan'''<!--no middle name ''yet'', per the Michael Bamberger book ''The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale'' (Gotham Books, New York, 2006), p. 17--><ref name=bio2>{{cite book|title=The Philadelphia Reader|year=2006|url=https://archive.org/details/philadelphiaread00hube|url-access=limited|last1=Huber|first1=Robert|last2=Wallace|first2=Benjamin|publisher=[[Temple University Press]]|quote=Then [Shyamalan] changed his name. The idea came when he was applying for American citizenship at age 18.|page=[https://archive.org/details/philadelphiaread00hube/page/n208 197]}}</ref> ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|ɑː|m|ə|l|ɑː|n}} {{respell|SHAH|mə|lahn}};<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.loc.gov/nls/about/organization/standards-guidelines/qrst/#s|title=NLS: Say How, Q-T|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|access-date=April 20, 2017}}</ref> born August 6, 1970)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2012/08/03/monitor-august-10-2012|title=Monitor|newspaper=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=August 10, 2012|issue=1219|pages=27}}</ref> is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer.<!--Keep most notable occupations in lead per MOS:ROLEBIO--> He is best known for making original films with contemporary [[supernatural fiction|supernatural plots]] and [[plot twist|twist endings]]. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.4 billion globally.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/m-night-shyamalan-next-movie-knock-at-the-cabin-1235031204/|title=M. Night Shyamalan's Next Movie Gets a Title: 'Knock at the Cabin'|date=October 13, 2021|first=Pamela|last=McClintock|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=October 19, 2021}}</ref>

Shyamalan was born in [[Mahé, India]], and raised in [[Penn Valley, Pennsylvania]]. His early films include ''[[Praying with Anger]]'' (1992) and ''[[Wide Awake (1998 film)|Wide Awake]]'' (1998) before his breakthrough film ''[[The Sixth Sense]]'' (1999), which earned him [[Academy Award]] nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] and [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]. He then released ''[[Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable]]'' (2000), ''[[Signs (2002 film)|Signs]]'' (2002) and ''[[The Village (2004 film)|The Village]]'' (2004). Following a period of setbacks which include several poorly received films like ''[[The Happening (2008 film)|The Happening]]'' (2008), ''[[The Last Airbender (2010 film)|The Last Airbender]]'' (2010), and ''[[After Earth]]'' (2013), he found a career resurgence with the films ''[[The Visit (2015 American film)|The Visit]]'' (2015), ''[[Split (2016 American film)|Split]]'' (2016), ''[[Glass (2019 film)|Glass]]'' (2019), ''[[Old (film)|Old]]'' (2021), and ''[[Knock at the Cabin]]'' (2023).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Old|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt10954652/|access-date=November 9, 2021|website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>

Shyamalan is also one of the executive producers and occasional director of the [[20th Television]] science fiction series ''[[Wayward Pines]]'' (2015–2016) and the [[Apple TV+]] psychological horror series ''[[Servant (TV series)|Servant]]'' (2019–2023), for which he also serves as [[showrunner]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/m-night-shyamalan-servant-11642019127|title=M. Night Shyamalan on Impostor Syndrome and His Old-School Film Techniques|first=Chris|last=Kornelis|date=January 12, 2022|access-date=January 15, 2022|website=Wsj.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/festival/awards-and-juries/international-jury.html|title=The Prizes of the International Jury|website=Berlinale.de|access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref>

==Early life==
Shyamalan was born in [[Mahé, India|Mahé]], [[India]] to ethnic Indian parents in a town in the [[Union territory|Union Territory]] of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Pondicherry]].<ref name=bio>{{Cite news|url= http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2009/feb/20need-for-a-dev-patel-in-the-life-of-pi.htm|title= The need for a Dev Patel in the Life of Pi|date= February 20, 2009|work=[[Rediff.com]] | archive-date= March 4, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304100320/http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2009/feb/20need-for-a-dev-patel-in-the-life-of-pi.htm}}</ref><ref>Bamberger, Michael. ''The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale''.(Gotham Books, New York, 2006), p.&nbsp;150.</ref> His father, Dr. Nelliyattu C. Shyamalan, is a [[Malayali]] neurologist from Mahé and a [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research|JIPMER]] graduate;{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} his mother, Dr. Jayalakshmi, a [[Tamils|Tamil]], is an [[Obstetrics and gynaecology|OB-GYN]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mnight.com/bio.html|title=Biography – M. Night Shyamalan Online|website=Mnight.com|access-date=October 22, 2017}}</ref> <!-- In the 1960s, after medical school (at the [[Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research]] in [[Pondicherry (city)|Pondicherry]]) and the birth of their first child, Veena, his parents moved to the United States. His mother returned to India to spend the last five months of her second pregnancy at her parents' home in [[Chennai]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2016}} -->

Shyamalan's parents immigrated to the United States when he was six weeks old.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-01 |title=M Night Shyamalan American Filmmaker |url=https://www.globalindian.com/story/filmmaker/m-night-shyamalan-the-indian-american-director/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=The Global Indian}}</ref>  Shyamalan was raised in [[Penn Valley, Pennsylvania]]. Shyamalan was raised [[Hindus|Hindu]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2001008,00.html|title=10 Questions for M. Night Shyamalan|first=M. Night|last=Shyamalan|date=July 12, 2010|magazine=Time}}</ref> He attended the private [[Catholic school|Roman Catholic grammar school]] [[Waldron Mercy Academy]], followed by the [[Episcopal Academy]], a private [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] [[High school (North America)|high school]] located at the time in [[Merion Station, Pennsylvania]]. He felt like an outsider and remembers that teachers would say that whoever was not baptized would go to hell.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite magazine|last=Farley |first=Christopher |url= http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,998594,00.html |title=Cinema: A New Day Dawns For Night|magazine=Time |date=November 27, 2000 |access-date=April 4, 2021}}</ref> When he was a student there, a teacher once became upset because he "got the best grade and [he] wasn't Catholic".<ref name="auto2"/> Shyamalan earned the [[New York University]] Merit Scholarship in 1988, and was also a [[National Merit Scholarship Program|National Merit Scholar]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Edelstein |first=David |url= https://nymag.com/movies/reviews/17661/ |title=M. Narcissus Shyamalan|website=New York Magazine |date=July 16, 2006 |access-date=July 23, 2012}}</ref> Shyamalan is an alumnus of [[New York University Tisch School of the Arts]] in [[Manhattan]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://about.tisch.nyu.edu/page/deanMessage.html |publisher=about.tisch.nyu.edu |title= Dean's Message}}</ref> graduating in 1992. It was while studying there that he adopted "Night" as his second name.

Shyamalan had an early desire to be a filmmaker when he was given a [[Super 8 film|Super 8]] camera at a young age. Though his father wanted him to follow in the family practice of medicine, his mother encouraged him to follow his passion. By the time he was seventeen, he had made forty-five home movies.<ref name=":0" /> On each DVD release of his films, beginning with ''[[The Sixth Sense]]'' and with the exception of ''[[Lady in the Water]]'', he has included a scene from one of these childhood movies, which, he feels, represents his first attempt at the same kind of film.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=M Night Shyamalan Malayali Holloywood Film Director - Pictures Biog and Films |url=http://www.learn-malayalam.com/M-Night-Shyamalan.html |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=www.learn-malayalam.com}}</ref>

==Career==
===Film===
[[File:M. Night Shyamalan 2008 - still 40580 crop.jpg|thumb|Shyamalan at a press conference<br />for ''[[The Happening (2008 film)|The Happening]]'' in 2008.]]
Shyamalan made his first film, the semi-autobiographical [[drama]] ''[[Praying with Anger]]'', while still a student at NYU, using money borrowed from family and friends.<ref>Bamberger, Ibid., p. 19.</ref> He wrote and directed his second movie, ''[[Wide Awake (1998 film)|Wide Awake]]''. His parents were the film's [[Film producer#Associate producer or assistant producer|associate producers]]. The drama dealt with a ten-year-old Catholic schoolboy ([[Joseph Michael Cross|Joseph Cross]]) who, after the death of his grandfather ([[Robert Loggia]]), searches for God. The film's supporting cast included [[Dana Delany]] and [[Denis Leary]] as the boy's parents, as well as [[Rosie O'Donnell]], [[Julia Stiles]], and [[Camryn Manheim]]. ''Wide Awake'' was filmed in a school Shyamalan attended as a child<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/m-night-shyamalan Answers.com] – Wide Awake.</ref> and earned 1999 [[Young Artist Award]] nominations for Best Drama, and, for Cross, Best Performance.<ref>[http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms20.htm Young Artists Award] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907122639/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms20.htm |date= September 7, 2013 }} – Past Nominations Listing.</ref> Only in limited release, the film grossed $305,704 in theaters, against a $6 million budget.<ref>[https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1998/WIDEA.php The Numbers] – Wide Awake Box Office Data.</ref>

That same year Shyamalan co-wrote the screenplay for ''[[Stuart Little (film)|Stuart Little]]'' with [[Greg Brooker (screenwriter)|Greg Brooker]]. In 2013, he revealed he was the [[ghostwriter]] for the 1999 film ''[[She's All That]]'', a teen comedy starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nme.com/news/film/m-night-shyamalan-reveals-he-ghost-wrote-she-s-all-880451#3SYmDvZof510xWCG.99|title=M Night Shyamalan reveals he ghost-wrote 'She's All That' | work=NME|date=June 11, 2013|first=Jamie|last=Crossan|access-date=July 16, 2018 }}</ref> On June 17, 2013, Jack Lechner (who served as Miramax's head of development in the late 1990s) confirmed that both Shyamalan and R. Lee Fleming, Jr. contributed to the script: Fleming wrote the initial script that Miramax bought while Shyamalan did an uncredited rewrite (doing more than "a polish") that got the film green-lit. Lechner reiterated that content from both writers was included in the final cut of the film.<ref name="auto">{{Cite magazine |date=June 17, 2013 |first=Hillary |last=Busis |title=M. Night Shyamalan and 'She's All That': Did he really write it? |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/06/17/m-night-shyamalan-shes-all-that/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=January 24, 2021}}</ref>

Shyamalan gained international recognition when he wrote and directed 1999's ''[[The Sixth Sense]]'', starring [[Bruce Willis]], and which became the second-highest grossing horror movie of all time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bean |first1=Travis |title=The Highest-Grossing Horror Movies Of All Time |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbean/2019/10/03/the-highest-grossing-horror-movies-of-all-time/#6def8a68e4d3 |website=Forbes |date=October 3, 2019}}</ref> ''The Sixth Sense'' was nominated for six Academy Awards, including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] and [[Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]].

In July 2000, on ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]'', Shyamalan said he had met with Spielberg and was in early talks to write the script for the [[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull|fourth ''Indiana Jones'' film]]. This would have given Shyamalan a chance to work with his longtime idol.<ref>[http://www.premiere.com/movienews/3372/indiana-jones-and-the-curse-of-development-hell-page2.html Premiere.com – "Indiana Jones and the Curse of Development Hell", By Ann Donahue] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070618165401/http://www.premiere.com/movienews/3372/indiana-jones-and-the-curse-of-development-hell-page2.html |date=June 18, 2007 }}.</ref> After the film fell through, Shyamalan later said it was too "tricky" to arrange and "not the right thing" for him to do.<ref>''Science Fiction Weekly'', {{Volume needed|c=y|date=March 2013}}</ref>

Shyamalan followed ''The Sixth Sense'' by writing and directing ''[[Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable]]'' (2000), again starring Willis, a stealth superhero film within a thriller which was both critically and financially successful.

Shyamalan's name was linked with the 2001 film ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'', but it conflicted with the production of ''Unbreakable''. In July 2006, while doing press tours for ''Lady in the Water'', Shyamalan expressed he remained interested in directing one of the last two ''Harry Potter'' films: "The themes that run through it&nbsp;... the empowering of children, a positive outlook&nbsp;... you name it, it falls in line with my beliefs", Shyamalan said. "I enjoy the humor in it. When I read the first ''Harry Potter'' and was thinking about making it, I had a whole different vibe in my head of it".<ref>Otto, Jeff (July 14, 2006). [http://movies.ign.com/articles/718/718799p1.html "Potter in the Water? Shyamalan interested in magical franchise"]. IGN.</ref>

His next film, ''[[Signs (2002 film)|Signs]]'', where he also played Ray Reddy, was released in 2002. The film stars [[Mel Gibson]] as a former [[Priest#Anglican or Episcopalian|Episcopalian priest]] who regains his faith in God during an alien invasion. It was both critically and financially successful and grossed $408 million from a budget of $72 million.

Shyamalan next directed ''[[The Village (2004 film)|The Village]]'' (2004), about an isolated community living in the woods. Although it received mixed reviews, it was financially successful as it grossed $257 million from a budget of $60 million.

[[File:Night Shyamalan-2.jpg|thumb|left|M. Night Shyamalan and [[Bryce Dallas Howard]] at the Spanish premiere of ''[[The Village (2004 film)|The Village]]'' (in the [[San Sebastián International Film Festival]], 2006).]]

After the release of ''The Village'' in 2004, Shyamalan had been planning a film adaptation of Yann Martel's novel ''[[Life of Pi]]'' with 20th Century Fox, but later backed out so that he could make ''Lady in the Water''. In an interview he said about his reasons for dropping out of that project:<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Schwartz |first=Missy |title=Catching up with M. Night Shyamalan at Tribeca |url=https://ew.com/article/2006/05/03/catching-m-night-shyamalan-tribeca/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=December 5, 2019 |date=May 3, 2006}}</ref>
{{Blockquote
|text=I love that book. I mean, it's basically [the story of] a kid born in the same city as me [Pondicherry, India] — it almost felt predestined. But I was hesitant because the book has kind of a twist ending. And I was concerned that as soon as you put my name on it, everybody would have a different experience. Whereas if someone else did it, it would be much more satisfying, I think. Expectations, you've got to be aware of them. I'm wishing them all great luck. I hope they make a beautiful movie.
}}

Released in 2006, ''[[Lady in the Water]]'', a bedtime story about a water nymph and an apartment superintendent, was both critically and financially unsuccessful, only grossing $72 million worldwide from a budget of $70 million.

Next was the film ''[[The Happening (2008 film)|The Happening]]'', a B-movie about trees killing humans, featuring a teacher and his wife fleeing from contaminated cities into the countryside. It was critically unsuccessful but financially successful as it grossed $163 million from a budget of $48 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://film.avclub.com/was-the-happening-supposed-to-be-taken-seriously-1798243486|title = Was the Happening supposed to be taken seriously?|website=Film.avclub.com| date=January 26, 2016 }}</ref>

In 2010, he directed ''[[The Last Airbender (2010 film)|The Last Airbender]]'', based on [[Avatar: The Last Airbender (season 1)|the first season]] of the [[Nickelodeon]] TV series ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]''. It was critically unsuccessful—with significant criticism aimed at its casting of white actors in Asian and Native American-inspired roles, yet was a financial success, grossing $319 million from a budget of $150 million.

In July 2008, it was announced that Shyamalan had partnered with [[Media Rights Capital]] to form a production company called Night Chronicles. Shyamalan would produce, but not direct, one film a year for three years.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117989271.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1 | work=Variety | title=Night falls for Media Rights | first=Michael | last=Fleming | date=July 21, 2008}}</ref> The first of the three films was ''[[Devil (2010 film)|Devil]]'', a supernatural thriller directed by siblings [[John Erick Dowdle|John]] and Drew Dowdle. The script was written by [[Brian Nelson (screenwriter)|Brian Nelson]], based on an original idea from Shyamalan.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117994794.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&query=shyamalan|title=MRC, Shyamalan dance with 'Devil'|access-date=January 3, 2009 | work=Variety | first=Michael | last=Fleming | date=October 28, 2008}}</ref> The movie was about a group of people stuck in an elevator with the devil, and starred [[Chris Messina (actor)|Chris Messina]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.newsinfilm.com/2009/10/19/details-on-shyamalan-story-devil/|title=Details on Shyamalan Story 'Devil'|access-date=October 19, 2009}}</ref> The film was not previewed by critics before its release.

In 2013, Shyamalan directed the film ''[[After Earth]]'', based on a script by [[Gary Whitta]] and starring [[Will Smith]] and [[Jaden Smith]]. It was received poorly by critics, and was financially unsuccessful. Shyamalan later described his thinking in 2013 as full of doubts, introspection and questioning.{{r|hiatt20181220}}

Shyamalan announced in January 2014 that he would be working again with [[Bruce Willis]] on a film titled ''Labor of Love''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/01/berlin-sixth-senses-m-night-shyamalan-bruce-willis-re-team-for-labor-of-love-673107/|title=M. Night Shyamalan And Bruce Willis Re-Team For 'Labor Of Love'|date=January 29, 2014|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.}}</ref> As of March 2022, and the retirement of Willis, this film had yet to be produced.

Shyamalan's reputation was poor and most Hollywood studios passed on his self-funded, low-budget horror-comedy ''[[The Visit (2015 American film)|The Visit]]'', featuring a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip. After revising the film,{{r|hiatt20181220}} which Shyamalan had shot in secret, Universal picked up rights to ''The Visit''. The movie went on to gross $98 million worldwide on a budget of $5 million<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nash |first1=Bruce |title=The Numbers – The Visit |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Visit-The-(2015)#tab=summary |website=The Numbers |publisher=Nash Information Services |access-date=November 27, 2019}}</ref> – the fifth-highest grossing thriller film of the year.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nash |first1=Bruce |title=Box Office Performance for Thriller/Suspense Movies in 2015 |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2015/genre/Thriller-or-Suspense |website=The Numbers |publisher=Nash Information Services |access-date=November 27, 2019}}</ref><ref name=Visitline>{{cite web|last1=Fleming| first1=Mike Jr. |title=Universal Slots 'The Visit', M. Night Shyamalan's Secret Thriller|url=https://deadline.com/2014/11/m-night-shyamalan-the-visit-jason-blum-universal-1201282508/|website=Deadline|date=November 12, 2014|access-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref> Universal released the movie on September 11, 2015.<ref name=Visitline/>

In 2017, Shyamalan released the movie ''[[Split (2016 American film)|Split]]''. It was both critically and financially successful and grossed $279 million from a budget of $9 million.<ref name="unbreakable-franchise">{{cite web |title=Unbreakable Franchise Box Office History |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Unbreakable#tab=summary |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]}}</ref>

In 2019, he released ''[[Glass (2019 film)|Glass]]'' as the final installment in his 19-year trilogy inclusive of previous films ''Unbreakable'' and ''Split''. The movie grossed over $247 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |author=f|title=Glass – Box office gross |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1518241281/?ref_=bo_di_table_285 |website=Box Office Mojo |publisher=IMDBPro}}</ref><ref name="unbreakable-franchise" />

M. Night Shyamalan's film, ''[[Old (film)|Old]]'', a thriller about tourists who begin aging rapidly on a mysterious beach, was shot in [[Dominican Republic]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 16, 2020|title=M. Night Shyamalan wraps up shooting his upcoming film in the DR|url=https://filmingindominicanrepublic.com/news/m-night-shyamalan-wraps-up-shooting-of-his-upcoming-film-old-in-the-dr/|access-date=May 13, 2021|website=Filming Dominican Republic|language=en-US}}</ref> and released on July 23, 2021. The film stars [[Gael Garcia Bernal]], [[Eliza Scanlen]], [[Thomasin McKenzie]], [[Aaron Pierre (actor)|Aaron Pierre]], [[Alex Wolff]], [[Abbey Lee]], [[Nikki Amuka-Bird]], [[Ken Leung]], [[Vicky Krieps]], [[Rufus Sewell]], [[Embeth Davidtz]], Alexa Swinton, Nolan River, and [[Emun Elliott]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hipes|first=Patrick|date=June 23, 2020|title=M. Night Shyamalan Thriller Gets 2021 Release Date|url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/m-night-shyamalan-movie-release-date-2021-1202967664/|access-date=June 24, 2020|website=Deadline|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/07/gael-garcia-bernal-m-night-shyamalan-movie-cast-1202989221/|title=Gael García Bernal Joins M. Night Shyamalan's Next Film|first=Justin|last=Kroll|website=Deadline.com|date=July 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/rufus-sewell-embeth-davidtz-and-emun-elliot-m-night-shymalans-1203018823/|title=Rufus Sewell, Embeth Davidtz & Emun Elliott Round Out Cast of M. Night Shyamalan's Next Film|first=Justin|last=Kroll|website=Deadline.com|date=August 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Shyamalan|first=M. Night|title=Old|date=July 21, 2021|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10954652/|type=Thriller|others=Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Thomasin McKenzie, Rufus Sewell|publisher=Universal Pictures, Blinding Edge Pictures|access-date=May 13, 2021}}</ref> The film received mixed reviews from critics.

In October 2021, Shyamalan announced that his next film ''[[Knock at the Cabin]]'' would be released in cinemas on February 3, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/m-night-shyamalan-knock-at-the-cabin-new-release-date-title-revealed-1234855706/|title=M. Night Shyamalan's Next Universal Pic Gets New Release Date & Official Title|work=Deadline|first1=Bruce|last1=Haring|date=October 14, 2021|access-date=April 6, 2022}}</ref> In February 2023, it was revealed Shyamalan's next film, titled ''Trap'', would be released in theatres on August 2, 2024 by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 16, 2023|url=https://deadline.com/2023/02/m-night-shyamalan-warner-bros-deal-1235262667/|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|access-date=February 17, 2023|title=M. Night Shyamalan Signs Multi-Year First-Look Deal at Warner Bros, Sets 'Trap' At Studio|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

===Television===
Shyamalan is the executive producer on the Apple TV series ''[[Servant (TV series)|Servant]]''. Shyamalan directed several episodes, including the pilot. ''Servant'' was renewed for a second series in advance of the season one premiere.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Otterson |first1=Joe |title='Servant' Renewed for Season 2 at Apple Ahead of Series Premiere |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/servant-renewed-season-2-apple-1203413812/ |website=Variety |date=November 23, 2019 |publisher=Penske Entertainment |access-date=November 27, 2019}}</ref> The second season of ''Servant'' completed filming in fall 2020 under COVID protocols.<ref>{{Cite web|title=M. Night Shyamalan reveals title and poster for mysterious new movie as filming begins|url=https://ew.com/movies/m-night-shyamalan-reveals-title-poster-old/|access-date=October 1, 2020|website=EW.com|language=EN}}</ref>

Shyamalan was also instrumental in the creation of the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] science fiction series ''[[Wayward Pines]]'' (2015–2016), for which he executive produced and directed the pilot episode. The series became the most-watched show of that summer.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Robinson |first1=Joanna |title=The Most-Watched TV Show of the Summer May Surprise You |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/07/most-watched-summer-tv-2015 |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=July 15, 2015 |access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref>

In 2016, TNT first announced that Shyamalan would be responsible for a reboot series for ''Tales from the Crypt''. {{as of|2017|June|}} the series had been cancelled due to a number of legal reasons.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barsanti |first1=Sam |title=M. Night Shyamalan's Tales From The Crypt reboot is going to stay buried |url=https://news.avclub.com/m-night-shyamalans-tales-from-the-crypt-reboot-is-goin-1830866853 |website=AV Club |date=December 4, 2018}}</ref>

He also appeared in an episode of the series ''[[Entourage (American TV series)|Entourage]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=M. Night Shyamalan |url=https://www.ent411.com/entourage-character/m-night-shyamalan/ |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=Entourage 411}}</ref>

===Production company===
Shyamalan's production company, [[Blinding Edge Pictures]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mnightshyamalan.com/legal.htm |title=Legal |publisher=M. Night Shyamalan official site |access-date=April 1, 2015 |archive-date=December 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131223170639/http://www.mnightshyamalan.com/legal.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> is located in [[Berwyn, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yellowpages.com/berwyn-pa/mip/blinding-edge-pictures-462652045|title=Blinding Edge Pictures |publisher=YellowPages.com |access-date=April 1, 2015}}</ref> Blinding Edge has produced ''[[Servant (TV series)|Servant]]'', ''[[Wayward Pines]]'', ''[[Devil (2010 film)|Devil]]'', ''[[The Happening (2008 film)|The Happening]]'', ''[[Lady in the Water]]'', ''[[The Village (2004 film)|The Village]]'', ''[[Signs (2002 film)|Signs]]'', ''[[Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable]]'', ''[[The Last Airbender (2010 film)|The Last Airbender]]'', ''[[After Earth]]'', ''[[The Visit (2015 American film)|The Visit]]'', ''[[Split (2016 American film)|Split]]'', ''[[Glass (2019 film)|Glass]]'' and ''[[Old (film)|Old]]''. It is run by Shyamalan and Ashwin Rajan.<ref>{{cite press release| url= http://www.blastr.com/2012/08/m_night_shyamalan_comes_t.php | title=Syfy, Marti Noxon, M. Night Shyamalan and Universal Cable Productions Team for Proof Pilot | publisher= [[Syfy]] | date= August 3, 2012| access-date= April 1, 2015 | archive-date=July 23, 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130723233424/http://www.blastr.com/2012/08/m_night_shyamalan_comes_t.php | url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2023, the company signed a multi-year first-look deal with [[Warner Bros.]], among them the Shyamalan-directed ''Trap'', set for a theatrical release on August 2, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|date=February 16, 2023|title=M. Night Shyamalan Sets Multi-Year First-Look Deal at Warner Bros., Sets 'Trap' At Studio|url=https://deadline.com/2023/02/m-night-shyamalan-warner-bros-deal-1235262667/|access-date=March 5, 2023|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

==Books==
While working on his film ''The Happening'', Shyamalan developed an interest in improving the delivery of education in American schools. He hired doctoral student James Richardson to do most of the background research and as a result published ''I Got Schooled: The Unlikely Story of How a Moonlighting Movie Maker Learned the Five Keys to Closing America's Education Gap'' through [[Simon and Schuster]] in 2013.<ref>''I Got Schooled: The Unlikely Story of How a Moonlighting Movie Maker Learned the Five Keys to Closing America's Education Gap,'' Simon and Schuster, 2013, {{ISBN|978-1-4767-1645-9}}</ref> John Willol of [[NPR]] reviewed the book by stating "''I Got Schooled'' is a breezily written, research driven call to change America's approach to education. Shyamalan is smart and sincere, and his innovative ideas are unbound by the educational establishment."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/09/12/221409659/filmmaker-turns-to-education-reform-gets-schooled |title=Filmmaker Turns To Education Reform, Gets 'Schooled' |work=NPR |last=Wilwol |first=John |date=September 12, 2013 |access-date=October 13, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Shyamalan married Bhavna Vaswani, a fellow student whom he met at [[New York University]].<ref>{{cite news| work = [[The Christian Science Monitor]]| date=July 28, 2004| url = http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0728/p15s01-almo.html | title= A Different Take| first= Stephen |last=Humphries | archive-date= January 2, 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150102053139/http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0728/p15s01-almo.html | url-status=live}}</ref> The couple have three daughters, including director Ishana and musician [[Saleka]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Colman|first1=David|title=M. Night Shyamalan's Pennsylvania Estate|url=http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/m-night-shyamalan-philadelphia-home-article|access-date=June 2, 2016|magazine=Architectural Digest|date=May 31, 2012| archive-date= June 2, 2016| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160602222110/http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/m-night-shyamalan-philadelphia-home-article| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ishana">{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ishana-shyamalan-to-direct-movie-1235304250/ |last=Crouch |first=Aaron |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=2023-02-14 |accessdate=2023-02-15 |lang=en-US |title=Ishana Night Shyamalan to Make Feature Directorial Debut with 'The Watchers' for New Line}}</ref> His cousin is actor [[Ritesh Rajan]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Shyamalan and his family live near Philadelphia at Ravenwood, a 125-acre estate, built around a 27,000-square-foot 1937 [[Georgian Revival]] house.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/m-night-shyamalan-philadelphia-home-slideshow|title=Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan's 1930s Pennsylvania Estate|first=David|last=Colman|website=Architectural Digest|date=June 2016|accessdate=February 18, 2022}}</ref>

Shyamalan is a season ticket holder of the [[Philadelphia 76ers]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 26, 2016 |title=M. Night Shyamalan Is Attending Sixers Opener With Connor Barwin |work=[[CBS Philadelphia]] |url=http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2016/10/26/m-night-shyamalan-sixers-opener-connor-barwin/ |access-date=January 14, 2023}}</ref>

In 2023, Shyamalan bought a 218 acre estate from the [[Rockefeller family]] in [[Willistown Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania]] which has five historic houses and two barns for $24 million dollars.<ref>Herman, Holly (March 24, 2023). [https://patch.com/pennsylvania/limerick/m-night-shyamalan-buys-former-rockefeller-farm-chesco-24m 'M. Night Shyamalan Buys Former Rockefeller Farm in Chesco for $24M."] ''Patch.com''. Retrieved July 8, 2023.</ref>

==Filmography==
{{Main article|M. Night Shyamalan filmography}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Directed features
! Year
! Title
! Distributor
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Praying with Anger]]''
| [[Cinevistaas Limited]]
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Wide Awake (1998 film)|Wide Awake]]''
| [[Miramax Films]]
|-
| 1999
| ''[[The Sixth Sense]]''
| rowspan=4 | [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures]]
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable]]''
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Signs (2002 film)|Signs]]''
|-
| 2004
| ''[[The Village (2004 film)|The Village]]''
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Lady in the Water]]''
| [[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
|-
| 2008
| ''[[The Happening (2008 film)|The Happening]]''
| [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]
|-
| 2010
| ''[[The Last Airbender (film)|The Last Airbender]]''
| [[Paramount Pictures]]
|-
| 2013
| ''[[After Earth]]''
| [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]
|-
| 2015
| ''[[The Visit (2015 American film)|The Visit]]''
| rowspan=5 | [[Universal Pictures]]
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Split (2016 American film)|Split]]''
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Glass (2019 film)|Glass]]''
|-
| 2021
| ''[[Old (film)|Old]]''
|-
| 2023
| ''[[Knock at the Cabin]]''
|}

==Critical analysis and box-office performance==
''Rolling Stone'' wrote that ''The Sixth Sense'' gave Shyamalan the reputation of "the guy who makes the scary movies with a twist".<ref name="hiatt20181220">{{Cite magazine |last=Hiatt |first=Brian |date=December 20, 2018 |title=The Fall and Rise of M. Night Shyamalan |url=https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-fall-and-rise-of-m-night-shyamalan |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref> In 2008, Shyamalan said it was a common misperception that "all my movies have twist endings, or that they're all scary. All my movies are spiritual and all have an emotional perspective".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/the-5minute-interview-m-night-shyamalan-writer-and-director-837413.html | work=The Independent | location=London | title=The 5-minute Interview: M Night Shyamalan, Writer and director | date=May 31, 2008 | access-date=May 12, 2010}}</ref> He nonetheless avoided plot twists for years, until again using them starting with ''The Visit'' in 2015. ''Rolling Stone'' wrote in 2018,{{r|hiatt20181220}}

{{blockquote|In his twenties, [Shyamalan] says, "I don't think you could have told me that making thrillers for your whole life wasn't a bad thing. At first it was a sense of, 'Hey, I can make anything.' But that’s hypocritical, because when I pick up an [[Agatha Christie]] novel in my library, I have a strong expectation. So, I get it&nbsp;... When I became happy with the idea of making thrillers for the rest of my life, everything went right."}}

After the release of ''The Village'', ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]''{{'}}s Michael Agger noted that Shyamalan was following "an uncomfortable pattern" of "making fragile, sealed-off movies that fell apart when exposed to outside logic".<ref>{{cite web |work=Slate |date=July 30, 2004 |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2004/07/village_idiot.html |title=The case against M. Night Shyamalan}}</ref>

Shyamalan has also been nominated for and in some cases won numerous [[Golden Raspberry Awards]] for ''Lady in the Water'' in 2006, ''The Happening'' in 2008, ''The Last Airbender'' in 2010, and ''After Earth'' in 2013. {{citation needed|date=August 2020}} In 2016 he was also nominated for the [[Razzie Redeemer Award]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rosen|first=Christopher|title=Razzies nominations 2016: 50 Shades of Grey, Pixels lead pack of year's worst|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/01/13/razzies-nominations-2016-list/|date=January 13, 2016|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=March 30, 2019}}</ref>

''The Village'', ''Lady in the Water'' and ''Split'' have been included in ''[[Cahiers du Cinéma]]'' [[Cahiers du Cinéma's Annual Top 10 Lists|annual top ten lists]].

Shyamalan is also known for setting and shooting his films in and around [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], along with nearby [[Reading, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Filming under way at Reading's Pagoda for Shyamalan's 'The Last Airbender'|url=http://www2.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=132206|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=Reading Eagle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Kathy Lauer-Williams|title=No Pagoda scenes after all in 'The Last Airbender'|url=https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-xpm-2010-07-01-mc-airbender-pagoda-reading-20100630-story.html|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=mcall.com|date=July 2010 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title='One of the greatest places to shoot in the world': M. Night Shyamalan pushes Pa. to boost film tax credit|url=https://whyy.org/articles/one-of-the-greatest-places-to-shoot-in-the-world-m-night-shyamalan-pushes-pa-to-boost-film-tax-credit/|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=Whyy.org|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title="The Last Airbender" Takes Over Reading Pagoda|url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/local/the-last-airbender-takes-over-reading-pagoda/1876964/|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=NBC10 Philadelphia|language=en-US}}</ref> Most of his commercially successful films were co-produced and released by [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]]' [[Touchstone Pictures|Touchstone]] and [[Hollywood Pictures]] and [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] imprints.

===Critical reception===
<onlyinclude>
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+ {{sronly|Critical and public response to films from M. Night Shyamalan}}
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Film
! scope="col" | [[Rotten Tomatoes]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/m_night_shyamalan|title=M. Night Shyamalan|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212024135/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/m_night_shyamalan|archive-date=February 12, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=August 2, 2021}}</ref>
! scope="col" | [[Metacritic]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/person/m-night-shyamalan|title=M. Night Shyamalan|website=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130040621/https://www.metacritic.com/person/m-night-shyamalan|archive-date=February 12, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=August 2, 2021}}</ref>
! scope="col" | [[CinemaScore]]<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |title=CinemaScore |publisher=[[CinemaScore]] |access-date=February 12, 2021}} Each film's score can be accessed from the website's search bar.</ref>
|-
| 1992
! scope=row | ''[[Praying with Anger]]''
| {{N/A}}
| {{N/A}}
| {{N/A}}
|-
| 1998
! scope=row | ''[[Wide Awake (1998 film)|Wide Awake]]''
| 45% (33 reviews)
| {{N/A}}
| {{N/A}}
|-
| 1999
! scope=row | {{sort|Sixth Sense|''[[The Sixth Sense]]''}}
| 86% (158 reviews)
| 64 (35 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|A–}}
|-
| 2000
! scope=row | ''[[Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable]]''
| 70% (173 reviews)
| 62 (31 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|C}}
|-
| 2002
! scope=row | ''[[Signs (2002 film)|Signs]]''
| 75% (237 reviews)
| 59 (36 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|B}}
|-
| 2004
! scope=row | {{sort|Village|''[[The Village (2004 film)|The Village]]''}}
| 43% (218 reviews)
| 44 (40 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|C}}
|-
| 2006
! scope=row | ''[[Lady in the Water]]''
| 25% (212 reviews)
| 36 (36 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|B–}}
|-
| 2008
! scope=row | {{sort|Happening|''[[The Happening (2008 film)|The Happening]]''}}
| 18% (185 reviews)
| 34 (38 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|D}}
|-
| 2010
! scope=row | {{sort|Last Airbender|''[[The Last Airbender (2010 film)|The Last Airbender]]''}}
| 5% (192 reviews)
| 20 (33 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|C}}
|-
| 2013
! scope=row | ''[[After Earth]]''
| 12% (212 reviews)
| 33 (41 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|B}}
|-
| 2015
! scope=row | {{sort|Visit|''[[The Visit (2015 American film)|The Visit]]''}}
| 68% (229 reviews)
| 55 (34 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|B–}}
|-
| 2016
! scope=row | ''[[Split (2016 American film)|Split]]''
| 78% (308 reviews)
| 62 (47 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|B+}}
|-
| 2019
! scope=row | ''[[Glass (2019 film)|Glass]]''
| 37% (395 reviews)
| 43 (53 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|B}}
|-
| 2021
! scope=row| ''[[Old (film)|Old]]''
| 50% (313 reviews)
| 55 (52 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|C+}}
|-
|2023
! scope=row| ''[[Knock at the Cabin]]''
| 67% (216 reviews)
| 63 (54 reviews)
| align="center" | {{sort grade|C}}
|}
</onlyinclude>

===Box-office performance===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Budget
! Box-office<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/person/131930401-M-Night-Shyamalan|title=M. Night Shyamalan – Box Office|website=The Numbers}}</ref>
|-
| 1998
| ''Wide Awake''
| $6 million
| data-sort-value="$0.3 million" | $305,704
|-
| 1999
| ''The Sixth Sense''
| $40 million
| $673 million
|-
| 2000
| ''Unbreakable''
| $75 million
| $248 million
|-
| 2002
| ''Signs''
| $72 million
| $408 million
|-
| 2004
| ''The Village''
| $60 million
| $257 million
|-
| 2006
| ''Lady in the Water''
| $70 million
| $73 million
|-
| 2008
| ''The Happening''
| $48 million
| $163 million
|-
| 2010
| ''The Last Airbender''
| $150 million
| $319 million
|-
| 2013
| ''After Earth''
| $130 million
| $251 million
|-
| 2015
| ''The Visit''
| $5 million
| $98 million
|-
| 2016
| ''Split''
| $9 million
| $279 million
|-
| 2019
| ''Glass''
| $20 million
| $247 million
|-
| 2021
| ''Old''
| $18 million
| $90 million
|-
| 2023
| ''Knock at the Cabin''
| $20 million
| $54 million
|- style="font-weight: bold; background-color: #EAECF0;" class="sortbottom"
! scope="row" colspan="2" | Total
| $723 million
| $3.162 billion
|-
|}

==Awards and nominations==
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by M. Night Shyamalan}}
In 2008, Shyamalan was honored with the [[Padma Shri]] award by the [[Government of India]].<ref>{{cite web| url= http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmashri_awards_list1.php?start=40 |title= Padma Shri Awardees| website= india.gov.in| publisher= National Informatics Centre, Government of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930041403/http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmashri_awards_list1.php?start=40 |archive-date=September 30, 2009 | access-date= November 1, 2017}}</ref> Shyamalan was the Jury President of the [[72nd Berlin International Film Festival]] competition section.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Prizes of the International Jury|url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/festival/awards-and-juries/international-jury.html|access-date=October 19, 2021|website=Berlinale.de|language=en}}</ref>

==Controversies==
===SyFy Channel hoax===
In 2004, Shyamalan was involved in a media [[hoax]] with [[SyFy Channel]], which was eventually uncovered by the press. SyFy claimed in its "documentary" special ''The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan'', shot on the set of ''The Village'', that as a child, Shyamalan had been dead for nearly a half hour while drowned in a frozen pond in an accident, and that upon being rescued he had experiences of communicating with spirits, fueling an obsession with the supernatural.

In truth, Shyamalan developed the hoax with SyFy, going so far as having SyFy staffers sign [[non-disclosure agreement]]s with a $5 million fine attached and requiring Shyamalan's office to formally approve each step. Neither the childhood accident nor a supposed rift with the filmmakers ever occurred. The hoax included a nonexistent SyFy publicist, "David Westover", whose name appeared on [[press releases]] regarding the special. SyFy also fed false news stories to the [[Associated Press]],<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.today.com/id/5211084/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/profile-m-night-shyamalan-goes-sour/ |agency=[[Associated Press]] | work = [[Today (US TV show)|Today]]|date=June 16, 2004 |title= Profile of M. Night Shyamalan goes sour: SyFy Channel is still planning to air the documentary| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401052130/http://www.today.com/id/5211084/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/profile-m-night-shyamalan-goes-sour/| archive-date=April 1, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Zap2It]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-118399097.html|title=Sci Fi schedules controversial Shyamalan doc.|date=June 21, 2004|access-date=April 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151407/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-118399097.html|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead|publisher=[[Zap2it.com]]|agency=[[Knight Ridder]] / [[Tribune News Service]]}}<!--ORIGINAL CITE, WHICH MAY STILL BE AVAILABLE SOMEWHERE ON NET; NOT ARCHIVED, HOWEVER {{cite web |publisher=[[Zap2it.com]] |date=June 17, 2004 |url=http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C888301%7C,00.html |title=Sci-Fi Schedules Controversial Shyamalan Doc }} {{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}--></ref> and the ''[[New York Post]]'',<ref>{{cite news| url =https://nymag.com/movies/reviews/17661/| title= M. Narcissus Shyamalan | publisher=(Sidebar, "Backstory") [[New York (magazine)|New York]] | first=David|last= Edelstein| author-link= David Edelstein |date= n.d.|archive-date= July 19, 2006| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060719193604/http://nymag.com/movies/reviews/17661/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2004/06/23/starr-report-754/ |title=Starr Report |first=Michael |last=Starr |date=June 23, 2004 |access-date=April 1, 2015 |work=[[New York Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717104227/http://nypost.com/2004/06/23/starr-report-754/ |archive-date= July 17, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2005/01/02/lets-be-honest-who-were-the-biggest-liars-of-2004/ |title=Let's Be Honest! Who Were the Biggest Liars of 2004? |first=Philip |last=Recchia |date=January 2, 2005 |work=New York Post |access-date=April 1, 2015 |archive-date= April 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403165432/http://nypost.com/2005/01/02/lets-be-honest-who-were-the-biggest-liars-of-2004/ |url-status=live }}</ref> among others.

After an AP reporter confronted SyFy Channel president [[Bonnie Hammer]] at a press conference, Hammer admitted the hoax, saying it was part of a [[guerrilla marketing]] campaign to generate pre-release [[publicity]] for ''The Village''. This prompted SyFy's parent company, [[NBC Universal]], to state that the undertaking was "not consistent with our policy at NBC. We would never intend to offend the public or the press and we value our relationship with both."<ref name="APSciFi">{{cite news|last=Collins |first=Dan |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/20/entertainment/main630733.shtml |title=Sci-Fi Channel Admits Hoax, 'Documentary' On Reclusive Filmmaker Is Bogus |agency=[[Associated Press]] |publisher=[[CBS News]] |date=July 20, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225031642/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/20/entertainment/main630733.shtml |archive-date=February 25, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Plagiarism accusations===
In 2003, a Pennsylvanian screenwriter named Robert McElhenney (unrelated to actor and producer [[Rob McElhenney]]) sued Shyamalan, alleging similarities between ''Signs'' and McElhenney's unpublished script ''Lord of the Barrens: The Jersey Devil''.<ref name="eonline.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/48011/shyamalan-s-village-villainy |website=E! News |title=Shyamalan's "Village" Villainy? |date= August 10, 2004 |first=Josh |last=Grossberg }}</ref><ref name="rediff.com">{{cite web |url=http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2004/aug/11night.htm |title=Is Shyamalan a copycat? |publisher= Rediff Entertainment Bureau |date=August 11, 2004}}</ref> In 2004, [[Margaret Peterson Haddix]] claimed that ''The Village'' has numerous similarities to her young adult novel ''[[Running Out of Time (novel)|Running Out of Time]]'' (1996), prompting discussions with publisher Simon & Schuster about filing a lawsuit.<ref name="eonline.com"/><ref name="rediff.com"/><ref name="ew.com">{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2004/08/10/author-mulls-lawsuit-over-village/|title=Author mulls lawsuit over ''The Village''|magazine=Entertainment Weekly | first=Gary |last=Susman |date=August 10, 2004}}</ref> In response to both allegations, Disney and Shyamalan's production company Blinding Edge issued statements calling the claims "meritless".

[[Orson Scott Card]] has claimed that many elements of ''The Sixth Sense'' were plagiarized from his novel ''[[Lost Boys (novel)|Lost Boys]]'', although he has said that enough had been changed that there was no point in suing.<ref>{{citation |url= http://www.hatrack.com/cgi-bin/print_friendly.cgi?page=/osc/reviews/everything/2004-08-08.shtml |title= Infringement, Watts, Plum, Ringworld, and Even More Books |first= Orson Scott |last= Card |publisher= Hatrack River (hatrack.com) |date= August 8, 2004 }}</ref>

==Pop culture and racism==
After the release of ''The Happening'', ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s [[Kim Newman]] questioned, "Can it be a kind of racism that the Indian-born, Philadelphia-raised auteur is hammered for his apparent character (or funny name) rather more than, say, Quentin Tarantino or Spike Lee?"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2008/jun/16/secondopinionthehappening|title=Second opinion: The Happening|first=Kim|last=Newman|date=June 16, 2008|website=Theguardian.com}}</ref> The [[British Film Institute]] (BFI) also discussed the impact of racism on Shyamalan's career, pointing to frequent mispronunciations of his last name.<ref name="auto1"/> By 2017, ''[[Vice Media|Vice]]'' said that "Shamalamadingdong" had become the "agreed-upon mockery of his name".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/kb4kwv/what-a-twist-m-night-shyamalan-doesnt-deserve-to-be-a-running-joke?|title = What a Twist: M. Night Shyamalan Doesn't Deserve to be a Running Joke|website=Vice.com}}</ref>

BFI asked if critical attacks are the result of egotistical statements on Shyamalan's part. They question whether his strong statements of self-assurance coupled with the remarkable success of ''The Sixth Sense'' set up a fall from grace which was soon realized when a run of very successful films (''The Sixth Sense'', ''Unbreakable'', ''Signs'' and ''The Village'') seemingly collapsed with a string of critical failures (''Lady in the Water'', ''The Happening'', ''The Last Airbender'', and ''After Earth'').<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/lost-spirit-m-night-shyamalan|title=Lost spirit: M. Night Shyamalan &#124; Sight & Sound|website=British Film Institute}}</ref> In 2019, Tim Greiving of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' said that "his confidence was interpreted as arrogance by some, especially after he cast himself in ''Lady in the Water'' as a brilliant writer whose book is prophesied as a world-saver." Greiving continued, "Howard, who expressed pride in him for forging ahead despite his turn among critics, noted how rare it was for such a young filmmaker to write, direct and produce original material. She wondered whether that placed a bigger target on his back, as his reputation for doggedness was perpetuated within the industry and reinforced by critics."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/twenty-years-after-the-sixth-sense-m-night-shyamalan-hasnt-given-up-on-twist-endings/2019/01/16/068144be-15c5-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html |title=Twenty years after 'The Sixth Sense,' M. Night Shyamalan hasn't given up on twist endings |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Grieving |first=Tim |date=January 17, 2019 |access-date=October 13, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |title=The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale and Lost |publisher=Gotham |year=2006 |isbn=978-1592402137 |author=Michael Bamberger}}
* {{cite book |title=M. Night Shyamalan: Interviews |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |year=2023 |isbn=978-1496848024 |author=Adrian Gmelch}}
{{refend}}

==External links==

* {{Official}}
* {{IMDb name|0796117|M. Night Shyamalan}}

{{M. Night Shyamalan|state=expanded}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by M. Night Shyamalan|Awards for M. Night Shyamalan]]
|list =
{{Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Empire Award for Best Director}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor}}
{{Nebula Award for Best Script/Bradbury Award}}
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}
{{Satellite Award Best Original Screenplay}}
}}
{{Blinding Edge Pictures}}
{{Berlin International Film Festival jury presidents}}

{{Authority control}}

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