M. Night Shyamalan just admitted he almost gave up on his next movie after Remain. The filmmaker shared a brutally honest update on his struggles with the screenplay process and revealed his revised plan moving forward.
M. Night Shyamalan gives screenplay update on next movie after Remain
M. Night Shyamalan shared a candid update on his next film’s screenplay progress in a YouTube video posted on November 4, 2026. The filmmaker admitted he has struggled with the outline over the past two weeks since his first update on October 19.
Shyamalan revealed he filled his notebook with ideas and conducted multiple research calls and Zooms. Despite that, he acknowledged the process has become counterproductive. “It’s starting to become a little bit destructive,” he said about his notebook entries. He further added that the research calls “started to pull me away from it just being an expression of something in me.”
As a result, the director considered abandoning the outline entirely and writing without one. Notably, this would be a first in his career. “I’ve almost made the decision to just start writing it without an outline, which I’ve never done,” he explained.
Nevertheless, Shyamalan ultimately recommitted to his original plan after calming himself down that morning. He decided to continue outlining through the end of the year and start writing the screenplay after the Christmas break.
Meanwhile, the filmmaker also traveled to Los Angeles to show his upcoming film Remain to his “new boss” at Warner Bros. Still, he admitted the trip took time away from writing. “We can lie to ourselves a lot about why we’re not writing, but you’re not writing, and that’s all that matters,” he stated.
Shyamalan graded his two-week performance harshly. “I would give myself, you know, did not attend school,” he said. In contrast, he gave himself a B-minus grade on October 19. In his first update, he described starting the outline process and noted the film idea has existed in his head for years.
Remain, his most recent completed project, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor. Warner Bros. will release the supernatural romantic thriller on February 5, 2027.
