In what sounds like quite the unique pairing of talent, Jake Gyllenhaal is set to star in an upcoming M. Night Shyamalan film that shares its story with an original novel by The Notebook author Nicholas Sparks. It’s the first time Shyamalan has co-created an original concept with a high-profile author such as Sparks, and the result will be two parallel projects: Shyamalan’s film adaptation and Sparks’ standalone novel.
As was first reported by The InSneider and later confirmed by outlets such as Deadline, the project is expected to be a supernatural romantic thriller. Shyamalan is co-writing the screenplay with his longtime producing partner Ashwin Rajan, under their Blinding Edge Pictures banner, while Sparks works on a novel based on the same story and characters. Sparks will also serve as executive producer, alongside Theresa Park and Marc Bienstock, who join Rajan and Shyamalan in producing the film.
Although a formal distribution deal has yet to be finalized, the filmmaker is reportedly in discussions with Warner Bros. following a previous collaboration on Shyamalan’s black comedy thriller Trap, which earned a global box-office haul of $US82 million.
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This marks another project for the ever-busy Gyllenhaal. Last year saw him lead the Amazon MGM Studios reimagining of cult classic Road House, with the film setting streaming records and spawning a sequel in development. He also earned critical acclaim for his performance in the Apple TV+ limited series Presumed Innocent, which saw him earn a Golden Globe nomination. On the horizon, Gyllenhaal will be seen in Guy Ritchie’s thriller In the Grey and the monster movie The Bride!, directed by his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal. He’s also preparing to share the Broadway stage with Denzel Washington next month in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello.
Meanwhile, Sparks—whose novels have collectively sold more than 130 million copies worldwide—continues to dominate bestseller lists. His latest release, Counting Miracles, debuted at number one on the New York Times bestsellers list – and there’s a film adaptation of that one in the works at Amazon. Known for romantic classics like The Notebook and Dear John, it’s going to be interesting to see how Sparks’ romance focus meshes with Shyamalan’s signature suspense and mystery.
Stay tuned.
