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EXCLUSIVE: Producer M. Night Shyamalan Talks Working With Daughter Ishana For The Watchers; Says ‘She Became A Storyteller’
In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Academy Award nominated filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan spoke about working with his daughter Ishana in the upcoming supernatural horror film The Watchers.
The upcoming supernatural horror film The Watchers, directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, starring Dakota Fanning in lead role is all set to hit theatres across India on June 14.
The movie is based on A.M. Shine’s novel of the same name and follows the story of 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 Watchers, acclaimed filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan opened up about working with his daughter Ishana on the movie during an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla. Read on to know more about the father-daughter duo's exciting collaboration.
M. Night Shyamalan says he knew daughter Ishana would become a filmmaker
During his exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, M. Night Shyamalan revealed the details he noticed in daughter Ishana’s creative process, not just as her dad but as her primary partner in storytelling.
“I’ve always noticed that she comes from a place of textural senses—experiencing textures, being tactile, looking at fabrics and shapes,” the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker said.
He then revealed that Ishana was trained as a ballerina and shared that she became largely involved in production design, fashion and painting while growing up. “There’s a sense of classicism to her,” Shyamalan stated.
“She’d come up with these images, these creatures,” he continued. “When she started writing, I was like, ‘You know, there’s one art form where you can do all of these things,’" the producer added.
“I knew she was going to be a filmmaker, but I didn’t ever want to say that. I wanted her to come to it organically,” Shyamalan mentioned.
M. Night Shyamalan On Ishana’s Interest In Fantasy And How It Shaped The Watchers
As part of his exclusive statement, M. Night Shyamalan also spoke about Ishana’s interest in the fantasy genre. “When she became a storyteller and started writing, she became very interested in genre, with a bent toward fantasy. She’s so good at it,” he said.
“Even the episodes that she directed of ‘Servant’ leant towards fantasy a little,” the showrunner revealed. Speaking about Ishana’s work in The Watchers, Shyamalan said, “She likes world building.”
“If this was my movie, my bunker would be different” he said. “Ishana and Ferdia (production designer) have come up with this fantastical version of it," the producer added.
:There’s so much world building in both the book and her screenplay,” Shyamalan mentioned, explaining how even certain small minor moments holds the potential of turning into something big.
“I noticed when we were shooting a scene in the forest, how she found just the right part of the forest, just the right angle of how to tell this scene,” the Sixth Sense creator recalled.
“She saw that the leaves were this way and the branches were bent that way—she has an eye for that. And it excites her,” he shared. “You can see that’s what makes her very happy. A story that’s rich in those things—this story—allows her to express how she sees the world,” Shyamalan concluded.
In addition to Dakota Fanning, The Watchers also stars Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré and Oliver Finnegan. The film is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad and marks Ishana Night Shyamalan’s directorial debut.
The Watchers set to open in cinemas in India on June 14, 2024, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
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