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EXCLUSIVE: Dakota Fanning And Ishana Night Shyamalan Talk About The Watchers; Say It'll Appeal To 'Thriller And Horror Lovers'
Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, The Watchers, a supernatural thriller, promises to captivate audiences with its blend of horror, family dynamics, and Irish folklore.
From producer M. Night Shyamalan comes The Watchers, releasing pan India on June 14, written for the screen and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and based on the novel by A.M. Shine. The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland.
When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly takes her place alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night. Ahead of the release of the film, Dakota Fanning And Ishana Night Shyamalan shared their experience of working together on the film during an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla.
Director Ishana Night Shyamalan on The Watchers: 'I think it's a very universal story'
Talking about the thematics of the story for The Watchers, director Ishana says, "As a young woman, it’s kind of inevitable that the ideas of femininity, womanhood and motherhood are imbued into the things that I write. And that very much became the center of the story, which to me is a mother/daughter story between the characters of Madeline and Mina. It really became a grounding factor. But this is not just for a female audience; it feels very muscular, bold, fearsome and strong. All the women in this film are all of those things. They're very powerful. I hope it transcends stereotypes a bit."
Getting into her vision for the film, Ishana adds, "Though it is based on an Irish novel, I think it's a very universal story—this idea of family, which is our center. There are family dynamics and human relationships at the center of everything. In the film, they’re really a family. Despite the fantasy, thriller and horror elements, and everything around them, I think it’s really about how people relate to each other and how to find a way to be connected in a world that's really tough to be connected in."
Dakota Fanning reflects on Ishana's vision for The Watchers and its appeal
Adding on with her experience is actor Dakota Fanning playing the role of Mina. "Ishana's vision for the project was very clear from the start. Because of the family she comes from, I think she loves this supernatural world—the mystical and the mythical. She was very clear about what she wanted and her directing style is also very clear. She definitely knows what she's looking for and what she wants… and she's such a nice, lovely, kind person that I've just really loved getting to know her and working with her. I was excited to see her vision come to life", she says.
Ask her about the film's overall appeal for audiences and Dakota says, "I think it'll definitely appeal to thriller lovers and horror lovers. It has so many of those aspects. There’s also this psychological element to it—I think for a lot of the movie you’re not even sure what you’re scared of, but you know you’re scared. I love films like that. It has so many different aspects of a thriller and of a horror film—just the right amount of scares and gore and violence—but also subtlety. And mixed in with it all is some Irish folklore. It’s a wonderful combination."
The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré and Oliver Finnegan. The film is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad. New Line Cinema presents A Blinding Edge Pictures / Inimitable Pictures Production, A Film By Ishana Night Shyamalan, The Watchers, set to open in Cinemas in India on June 14, 2024; it will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros.
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