After a string offlopsthat did some damage to his sterling reputation,M. Night Shyamalanseems poised for a comeback with his thrillerThe Visitthis fall. It must be pretty good, because it’s convinced one of his more famous collaborators to reunite with the innovative, yet much maligned,filmmaker. Though, at this time, there is not much more to go on than the talent behind the project.
After appearing in M. Night Shyamalan’s third blockbuster smashSignsin 2002,Joaquin Phoenixwas quick to rejoin the director for 2004’sThe Village. But thatthrillerwas the first sign that interest was starting to wane in M. Night Shyamalan, and some of themagicwas drifting away. The pair haven’t made a movie since, with more than ten years passing. Now, the duo are ready to reunite for an untitled project. Though it isn’t know if this will be a thriller, a sci-fi adventure or another family film.
M. Night Shyamalan and Joaquin Phoenix are locked in negotiations right now. And anyone who followed Joaquin Phoenix through his Marvel ordeal as they tried to sign him forDoctor Strangeknow that nothing with the actor is a done deal. The hope is for the pair to start shooting the movie this November. Production will take place in M. Night Shyamalan’s hometown of Philadelphia, where most (but not all) of his movies infamously take place.
TheUntitled Joaquin Phoenix/M. Night Shyamalan Moviewill also reunite M. Night Shyamalan with low budget producer extraordinaireJason Blumand his Blumhouse Productions. They last collaborated onThe Visit, which arrives in theaters September 11 and promises to be a hit. Marc Bienstock will co-produce alongside executive producers Ashwin Rajan and Steven Schneider.
Staying in step with his always mysterious style, M. Night Shyamalan refuses to spill any of the scecrets behind this unique new project that puts Joaquin Phoenix back in the role of leading man. The movie will be another low budget thriller, in line with theThe Visit’s $5 million budget, which was fully financed by the director himself. For comparison, one of M. Night Shyamalan’s more notorious flops, Paramount’sThe Last Airbender, cost a whopping $150 million.
TheUntitled Joaquin Phoenix/M. Night Shyamalan Movieis not set up at a studio yet, but it’s likely that it will go to Universal Studios, the same studio that is releasingThe Visit. That movie follows a pair of children who discover their grandparents aren’t quite what they seem. Buzz is strong, and follows M. Night Shyamalan’s hit summer seriesWayward Pines, which debuted in June. It was a ratings winner for Fox. Will theUntitled Joaquin Phoenix/M. Night Shyamalan Movieprove to be another hit, keeping M. Night Shyamalan’s career on the upswing? Perhaps, if he can refrain from any more giant blockbuster movies.
