Jake Gyllenhaal Joins Mystery M. Night Shyamalan Project (That Could Be His Weirdest Yet)

Oscar-nominee Jake Gyllenhaal has been cast to star in M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming film, which stems from an unexpected collaboration. According to Deadline, the project is being billed as a “supernatural romantic thriller.” The twist is that Shyamalan is developing the story alongside author Nicholas Sparks, with plans to turn it into a movie and a novel. While the former works on a script, the latter will be using the same idea to write a book. It’s said that Shyamalan and Sparks’ separate projects will be “tailored to their respective mediums.” Plot details are unknown.

The Deadline report does not mention when Shyamalan’s untitled film could begin production. Warner Bros. is said to be “in discussions” to distribute the picture.

Shyamalan is coming off the thriller Trap, which grossed $83.6 million worldwide last year. The film earned mixed reviews, though Josh Hartnett’s performance earned considerable praise. Shortly after Trap‘s premiere, the director shared that he had begun work on his next movie, remarking that he was “inspired by all the support” he’s received from audiences throughout the years. At that time, Shyamalan was in the earliest stages of writing, outlining ideas in a notebook.

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Gyllenhaal recently starred in Amazon’s Road House remake, which proved to be a success on Prime Video. A sequel is in the works, with Gyllenhaal teasing it will be “bigger” and “more expansive” than its predecessor. Announced last year, Road House 2 is still in early development, as no director or release date have been announced.

Given Shyamalan and Sparks’ respective styles, it isn’t a shock that a “supernatural romantic thriller” is the product of this unlikely team-up. The former made a name for himself crafting twisty genre pictures featuring some kind of otherworldly element, while the latter is famous for his melodramatic love stories. Several of Sparks’ books have been turned into movies, with The Notebook and Dear John among the most notable examples. While these two creatives can admittedly be hit-or-miss from a quality perspective, it should still be interesting to see what they come up with. Despite mixed results over the course of his career, Shyamalan’s films are still fascinating in the sense they stem from his unique vision and voice. When they hit the mark, audiences are treated to a one-of-a-kind experience that makes a lasting impression. There’s potential for his spin on a Sparks-esque romance to be something special.

Gyllenhaal’s involvement is a promising sign for this collaboration’s prospects. While not every movie or show of his has been a critical darling, he has routinely demonstrated a keen eye for choosing projects that engage audiences with a compelling narrative. That he’s following up his acclaimed turn in Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent with this suggests Shyamalan’s latest will be worth seeking out when it premieres. No matter the material, Gyllenhaal is always one to give a dedicated performance, and it’ll be exciting to learn about the character he’s playing here.