M. Night Shyamalan's latest plot twist? Teaming with Nicholas Sparks on
a novel and upcoming film
[October 21, 2025]
By ALICIA RANCILIO
Even M. Night Shyamalan — known for making darker movies like “The Sixth
Sense” and “Signs” — goes looking for the light sometimes.
“I just finished three really dark movies, 'Old,' ‘Knock at the Cabin’
and ‘Trap,' which are really edgy movies where the characters are super,
super dark and complicated, and I wanted to do something different,”
said the director.
He found an interesting opportunity to collaborate on a new supernatural
romance novel called “Remain” with Nicholas Sparks. Yes, that Nicholas
Sparks — king of romantic dramas like “The Notebook” and “A Walk to
Remember.”
Co-authored books are a hot trend right now in the publishing world.
Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben have a new novel out. James Patterson
has teamed up with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton on books. This collab,
however, is different in that Shyamalan had written the screenplay and
Sparks agreed to write a novel based on that story. A “Remain” film —
starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor — already wrapped production
and will be released next year.
“I don’t think anybody has ever done what we just did, which was take
the same story and simultaneously go do our separate things,” said
Sparks. “It isn’t in linear fashion. It’s two people doing two different
art forms from the same story. I trusted him 100% to make the best film
version of that story possible and he trusted me.”
The two crossed paths years ago when Shyamalan was asked if he would
want to adapt Sparks' novel “The Notebook” into a feature film. The job
ended up going to Nick Cassavetes, but Shyamalan said Sparks' work
“always represented something magical to me.” It meant something to him
that he would be entrusted with a story so beloved.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Sparks and Shyamalan talk
about teaming up, scary movies and chicken salad. Answers have been
edited for clarity and brevity.
____
AP: At first thought, you two working together seems like an unlikely
duo. but the supernatural and romance genres have a lot in common.
SPARKS: We're not the first to dabble in this. The biggest movie of 1990
was “Ghost.” Shakespeare used to put ghosts into his plays.
SHYAMALAN: I think love is a supernatural conceit. It’s a mythology we
all buy into, but it is still a mythology, a supernatural mythology that
there’s a “one.” The “destined one” that you meet in the coffee shop and
that you know it was meant to be, and then all the things that happened
because you met.
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 AP: Night, you say you approached
Gyllenhaal at the beginning of the year about this role. When you
did that, did you tell him it would also be a novel written by
Sparks?
SHYAMALAN: I must have. But it was such an unusual moment because I
had finished writing the screenplay, pressed save, rushed to get in
the car to go to New York for my daughter’s birthday. In the car the
phone rings, and it's Jake. And I’m like, “What’s up, man?” We
hadn’t talked in five years, something more. And he’s like, “I’d
love to be in one of your movies.” And I went, “That is so weird.
Where are you?” And he’s like, “I’m in New York.” I said, “Well, I’m
going to New York. Want to have tea?” I had a gut feeling that the
universe was doing something. So, I called my assistant. I said,
“Print the script.” So, we’re just having tea and catching up. And
he’s telling me how in love he is and how he’s just so happy and in
love. And I said, “You know what? Here.” He was in shock. He called
me two days later and said, “I’m in. I love it.” It was a weird kind
of beautiful thing.
AP: Does the book follow the screenplay to the letter or vice versa?
SPARKS: Like any adaptation, no. The first thing I said when I read
his script was, “Hey, this is great. Of course, it’s gonna be
nothing like my novel. It’s entirely different.” Night said
basically the same thing.
SHYAMALAN: I think for audiences, it’ll be really interesting. They
can point out the differences and ask, “Why did Nicholas do that
with the character and the backstory? Why did Night do this?” Our
dialogue isn’t the same.
AP: Night, we're in spooky season with Halloween coming up. Are
there any films — besides your own — that you recommend watching?
SHYAMALAN: “The Exorcist,” of course, it’s always there. There's
“The Innocents.” “The Haunting” 1963 film by Robert Wise. And the
Japanese movie “Cure.”
AP: Nicholas, have you made Night your famous chicken salad with
Splenda?
SPARKS: No, I haven't. I did an interview with the New York Times
where I offered the reporter some of my homemade chicken salad and
it had Splenda. And whatever reason this blew up on social media.
People thought it must be the most disgusting chicken salad ever.
So, I said, “No, it’s delicious.” We started making it on my book
tour last year, handing it out to people. And in fact, Splenda put
the recipe on its boxes. You can get them. I was invited to the
Indianapolis 500 to see the Splenda car.
SHYAMALAN: To get to the core of your question. No, he has not made
it. Nor has he mentioned it. Didn’t even offer it.
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