Plot Twist! M. Night Shyamalan Goes Romance with Nicholas Sparks

Olivia Bennett, 10/22/2025M. Night Shyamalan teams up with Nicholas Sparks for the unexpected romance film "Remain." Set for winter release, the film and Sparks' novel tell a love story with unique perspectives. With Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor starring, this partnership promises a fresh take on storytelling.

(And no, this isn't one of Night's famous fake-outs.)

Their collaboration, "Remain," feels like catching Meryl Streep at a monster truck rally — utterly unexpected yet somehow perfectly right. After Shyamalan's recent psychological thriller hat trick ("Old," "Knock at the Cabin," and the soon-to-drop "Trap"), the director's apparently decided to chase a different kind of chill down our spines: the goosebumps of true love.

The way these two creative forces came together? Honestly, it's giving serious meet-cute energy. Rather than following the tired old book-to-screen pipeline, they've cooked up something deliciously different — Shyamalan penned the screenplay first, while Sparks crafted his novel version simultaneously. It's like watching parallel universes unfold, sweeties, and Hollywood hasn't seen anything quite like it.

Speaking of parallel universes colliding... Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor's casting feels like it was written in the stars (or at least in a particularly inspired casting director's dream journal). The story behind Gyllenhaal's involvement reads pure Sparks — a serendipitous phone call after five years of radio silence, followed by a fateful tea meeting in Manhattan. Sometimes life really does imitate art, doesn't it?

Look, we've seen plenty of creative collaborations lately — half of Hollywood seems to be co-writing books with their besties these days. But this? This is different, honey. It's not just two creators sharing a sandbox; it's two masters of their craft taking the same emotional DNA and spinning it into completely different artistic creatures.

And before anyone starts clutching their pearls about supernatural elements in a romance (gasp!), let's remember that "Ghost" had us all believing in spectral pottery classes back in 1990. As Sparks so elegantly put it — even Shakespeare wasn't above throwing a ghost or two into his love stories. Besides, hasn't love always been a bit supernatural anyway? (Shyamalan certainly thinks so, calling it "a mythology we all buy into.")

The film's wrapped and heading for theaters next winter, while Sparks' novel version promises its own unique interpretation. "It's gonna be nothing like my novel. It's entirely different," Sparks admits with refreshing honesty. Which means we'll get two distinct flavors of the same emotional sundae — and darling, who doesn't love options?

There's something almost poetic about this partnership, considering Shyamalan nearly directed "The Notebook" way back when. (Can you imagine? That rain scene might've ended with Rachel McAdams being an alien all along.) Now, after years of near-misses, these two storytelling powerhouses have finally found their moment.

In an industry that too often feels like it's running on recycled ideas and AI-generated scripts (don't get me started), this bold experiment in dual storytelling feels like a breath of fresh air. Or maybe it's more like a perfectly timed plot twist — one that might just rewrite the rules of how we tell our favorite stories.

Darlings, hold onto your popcorn — Hollywood's most delicious odd couple has just served up the plot twist of 2025. M. Night Shyamalan, our beloved master of psychological mind-benders, has thrown his signature plot twist at us by... well, ditching the twists altogether. Instead, he's waltzed straight into romance territory with none other than Nicholas Sparks, the king of tear-stained paperbacks himself.(And no, this isn't one of Night's famous fake-outs.)Their collaboration, "Remain," feels like catching Meryl Streep at a monster truck rally — utterly unexpected yet somehow perfectly right. After Shyamalan's recent psychological thriller hat trick ("Old," "Knock at the Cabin," and the soon-to-drop "Trap"), the director's apparently decided to chase a different kind of chill down our spines: the goosebumps of true love.The way these two creative forces came together? Honestly, it's giving serious meet-cute energy. Rather than following the tired old book-to-screen pipeline, they've cooked up something deliciously different — Shyamalan penned the screenplay first, while Sparks crafted his novel version simultaneously. It's like watching parallel universes unfold, sweeties, and Hollywood hasn't seen anything quite like it.Speaking of parallel universes colliding... Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor's casting feels like it was written in the stars (or at least in a particularly inspired casting director's dream journal). The story behind Gyllenhaal's involvement reads pure Sparks — a serendipitous phone call after five years of radio silence, followed by a fateful tea meeting in Manhattan. Sometimes life really does imitate art, doesn't it?Look, we've seen plenty of creative collaborations lately — half of Hollywood seems to be co-writing books with their besties these days. But this? This is different, honey. It's not just two creators sharing a sandbox; it's two masters of their craft taking the same emotional DNA and spinning it into completely different artistic creatures.And before anyone starts clutching their pearls about supernatural elements in a romance (gasp!), let's remember that "Ghost" had us all believing in spectral pottery classes back in 1990. As Sparks so elegantly put it — even Shakespeare wasn't above throwing a ghost or two into his love stories. Besides, hasn't love always been a bit supernatural anyway? (Shyamalan certainly thinks so, calling it "a mythology we all buy into.")The film's wrapped and heading for theaters next winter, while Sparks' novel version promises its own unique interpretation. "It's gonna be nothing like my novel. It's entirely different," Sparks admits with refreshing honesty. Which means we'll get two distinct flavors of the same emotional sundae — and darling, who doesn't love options?There's something almost poetic about this partnership, considering Shyamalan nearly directed "The Notebook" way back when. (Can you imagine? That rain scene might've ended with Rachel McAdams being an alien all along.) Now, after years of near-misses, these two storytelling powerhouses have finally found their moment.In an industry that too often feels like it's running on recycled ideas and AI-generated scripts (don't get me started), this bold experiment in dual storytelling feels like a breath of fresh air. Or maybe it's more like a perfectly timed plot twist — one that might just rewrite the rules of how we tell our favorite stories.