Night Shyamalan Interested in 'Unbreakable' Sequel

As in vogue as it is to beat up on M. Night Shyamalan these days, it's easy to forget that for about four years, he was making some pretty good flicks. Even Signs has its moments until you actually see the aliens. But one movie that was always underrated was Unbreakable. Shyamalan tells MTV he may want to revisit his second Hollywood movie, which nearly made a quarter-billion dollars around the world in 2000 and 2001. The trouble is getting Bruce Willis and Sam Jackson back together. "Sam is like ‘Mr. Comic Book’ now," Night joked. "And Bruce, I don’t know what he’s up to. I don’t know where Disney’s at in their head and what kind of movies they’re up for making. But yeah, I love that movie.” As for why it hasn't happened yet, Shyamalan got all artsy and reflective on the subject last year, when he first announced he'd like to work on an Unbreakable 2. “I want a story to pop into my head that is organic and expressive of who I am. You know, these are all kinds of journals of where I am emotionally, so it’s kind of hard. I’m kind of trying to go back to the journal that existed in 1999 for me. But I know me: As soon as I give up on it is when the idea will come to me.” He's losing me on the emotional journal stuff, but I agree that the story has to be organic. It can't just be the next set of circumstances for those two characters. Hopefully, he'll find a compelling reason to make it, and is it too much to ask that the screenplay is better than the ones in the past five years? I hope not. I liked Unbreakable quite a bit and think it does have some potential beyond its own conclusion.

Comments

[Jeff]

I love Unbreakable. I hope this happens.

[spluftin]

I actually liked every one of his movies, I don't see what's wrong with them.

[MRPigg]

Well, there's nothing wrong with his recent work, except for the fact that everything since the first half of Signs has been bloated, self-indulgent claptrap. I loved Unbreakable as well, but I don't know if a revisit would be a good thing.

Night needs to get over the fact that not everything has to be The Sixth Sense or Unbreakable. We don't need another "huge twist," do something normal for a change. Maybe direct a couple things that other people write and see how that works out. He has completely lost his once brilliant storytelling ability. I once touted him as "the next Spielberg," but that ain't gonna happen until he gets over himself.

Here's a thought: have Kevin Smith write the sequel. Smith is a terrible director, but most of his scripts have been very well put together. He just doesn't know how to get the actors to say the words right, and he knows very little about composition and atmosphere. Plus the subject matter is right up his alley.

[Get The Big Picture]

And thus is invoked that other overrated auteur of the last 15 years...

[MRPigg]

That's my point, he's overrated because he's a horrible director. Not a bad writer.

[Charcole]

Unbreakable is an awesome movie... if it had ended like two minutes earlier than it did. None of that subtitle crap. And I'm sure a sequel would suck. He's just going back to the well to the only good movie of his that could have a sequel. Kind of like Vin Diesel.
Unbreakable was his last good movie. Signs sucked balls.
And I'm a Kevin Smith fan. Always looking forward to another Jay and Silent Bob adventure.

[Sean]

I completely and utterly agree 100% with MRPIGG....

I still am a BIG fan of Mr. Shyamalan even though he has been not up to par in his recent films...

Its so funny b/c I too, at one point, was calling him "the next greatest director of our time"

However everyone knows how that went.. I loved Signs it was brilliant to me, and he still does have some muscle in Hollywood I mean he does get fairly big stars for his films, so if he can pull something together worth while it will work....

I have a feeling well see him with a smash hit soon, I think he'll pull a Woody Allen and have a good 2nd wind and big revelation, and do well... I ONLY HOPE

[Lengthy Johnson]

Shyamalan's best film is actually The Village. The dialogue is beautifully crafted, the acting is absolutely superb and the mood is just right with a careful balace of visuals and audio.

I still think Shyamalan has it in him, it's just that he got too big and famous to really lock himself up and do the long and dreary creative trudge.

Unbreakable, on the other hand, I found wanting in most respects.