Jake Gyllenhaal to lead M Night Shyamalan-Nicholas Sparks's supernatural thriller
What's the story
Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal is all set to star in a new film directed by acclaimed director M Night Shyamalan, Deadline reported. The upcoming project is a supernatural romantic thriller, based on an original story co-created by Shyamalan and global-bestselling novelist Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, A Walk to Remember). This is the first time Shyamalan has teamed up with a high-profile writer for an idea.
Independent development
Shyamalan and Sparks are independently developing their projects
Per the report, Shyamalan and Sparks are separately developing a screenplay and a novel, respectively, inspired by the same original love story. Both projects will have the same concept and set of characters but will be adapted for their respective mediums. The film will be produced by Shyamalan's Blinding Edge Pictures, along with Sparks's longtime producing partners Theresa Park and Marc Bienstock.
Career highlights
Gyllenhaal's career trajectory and recent hits
Gyllenhaal's involvement in the project comes after a successful year that started with his hit reinvention of the classic action film Road House at Amazon MGM Studios. It is available to stream on Prime Video. The film shattered streaming records, resulting in a sequel that is currently in the works. He also received critical acclaim for his role in the limited series Presumed Innocent on Apple TV+, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
Global impact
Shyamalan's global success and Sparks's literary achievements
Shyamalan has been enthralling audiences across the globe for almost two decades, with his movies grossing over $3 billion worldwide. His last summer blockbuster was the thriller Trap, featuring Josh Hartnett. On the other hand, Sparks is a world-renowned storyteller whose books have always been featured on The New York Times best-sellers list. His latest novel, Counting Miracles, debuted at No. 1 on the NY Times best-sellers list and will be adapted into a film by Amazon.