M. Night Shyamalan to direct Jake Gyllenhaal Supernatural Movie in R.I.

Providence, RI -- The Rhode Island Film & TV Office is pleased to announce that Academy Award nominated writer/director, M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and best-selling author Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, A Walk to Remember) are teaming up on a supernatural romantic thriller that will be filmed this summer in the Ocean State. The original narrative is a collaboration between Sparks and Shyamalan, with Sparks writing a book and Shyamalan writing a screenplay independently, based on the same original love story. The Blinding Edge Pictures film will star Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Road House, Presumed Innocent).

M. Night Shyamalan's most recent feature "Trap", a psychological thriller starring Josh Hartnett was released in August of 2024. His other films include "The Sixth Sense" which was nominated for 6 Oscars in 2000, "Signs" with Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, and the "Eastrail 177 Trilogy" with the films "Unbreakable", "Split" and "Glass", starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy. Shyamalan will produce the film with Blinding Edge Pictures president and producing partner Ashwin Rajan, Sparks' longtime producer Theresa Park and Marc Bienstock.

New York Times best-selling novelist Nicholas Sparks has published 23 novels and 2 works of nonfiction. A total of 11 of those novels have been adapted as films, most notably 2004's hit "The Notebook" starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.

Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office, remarked, "It is a dream come true to have one of my favorite filmmakers making an original movie here in our beloved Ocean State. Night is a visionary who always attracts top-notch talent in front of and behind the camera. Rhode Island is a special location steeped in history, beauty and great mystery. With all of these amazing ingredients in the hands of a master filmmaker, we can expect M.Night Shyamalan and his outstanding team to tantalize our senses and make a movie we can all be proud of!"

Governor Daniel J. McKee commented, "Rhode Island is excited to host the talented cast and crew of this high-quality film directed by such a master storyteller as M. Night Shyamalan. It's great to see a new production that showcases our beautiful Ocean State. With our unique landscape and talented local artists, Rhode Island is an ideal location to film a motion picture or television series. Every time a production shoots here we see a positive impact on our local businesses. This is the type of energy that keeps moving our economy forward."

Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-District 23, Warwick) commented, "I am proud to continue to promote the arts and filmmaking as a thriving industry in Rhode Island. Our state provides a beautiful backdrop for a variety of major motion pictures from comedies to love stories to suspense thrillers. Furthermore, this innovative industry has proven to be an economic catalyst for the talented artists and hard-working crew members, many of whom are based right here in Rhode Island. It also provides an introduction to first-time visitors who inevitably fall in love with our Ocean State."

Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-District 4, North Providence, Providence) said, "The Senate is pleased to welcome another major production to our state. This project will provide good paying jobs to the talented film industry professionals based in our state, indirect jobs to area small businesses, and tremendous exposure to the charm and diversity which make our state such an attractive setting to filmmakers and visitors alike."

The Rhode Island Film & TV Office is a government agency under the umbrella of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA)