M. Night Shyamalan’s Upcoming Movie Is Based On A Book He Authored With Nicholas Sparks, And I Can’t Wait For Both

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It might initially surprise some people that filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan would partner with renowned romance novelist Nicholas Sparks for a film. However, their collaboration on the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation titled “Remain“, slated for release in 2026, appears logical to me due to their shared ability to create captivating narratives.

M. Night Shyamalan, renowned for his horror and thriller films, has ventured into expressing emotions other than fear and suspense in his movies, with love being one of them. While romance has been a factor in some of his top-tier films, none of these productions are primarily classified as romantic movies. I’m excited to see what the upcoming book (releasing in 2025) and the movie (starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor, set for release next year) bring, given Shyamalan’s unique approach to love as a theme. Let’s delve into what we currently know about both projects.

Remain Movie Release Date

First off, let’s discuss the release dates. Although the book is due out this year, the movie version won’t premiere until October 23, 2026, according to Deadline. This puts it right at the end of Halloween season next year, which means it will face competition from other horror movies hitting theaters, such as Jordan Peele’s upcoming film, which coincidentally shares the same release date with Remain. While this might be a challenge for both highly-anticipated films, their genres aren’t identical, as Jordan Peele’s unnamed project is thought to be a horror flick, whereas Remain is billed as a supernatural romantic thriller.

Remain Book Release Date

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According to publishers, Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan have teamed up for a supernatural love story titled “Remain,” which is set to hit shelves on October 14, 2025. The book will be categorized under Paranormal Fiction, Paranormal & Fantasy Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Women’s Fiction by Penguin Random House.

You can pre-order the book at retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon, or find it on store shelves this October at your local bookstore. As you can tell from the images provided, the hardcover edition boasts attractive endpapers and covers with embossed replicas of the authors’ signatures.

What Is Remain About?

Moving onto the narrative of the movie “Remain”, it’s worth noting that this is a love story with a supernatural twist, a characteristic typical of Nicholas Sparks’ novels. Some of his works like “The Notebook”, “A Walk to Remember”, “Safe Haven”, “Dear John”, and “The Choice” have been brought to the big screen. Given that M. Night Shyamalan is part of this project, it’s expected that the story will not only be a romance but also include elements of science fiction and the supernatural, as Shyamalan is renowned for weaving such aspects into his stories, most notably in “The Sixth Sense”.

The story focuses on Tate Donovan, an architect, who is dealing with the grief of his sister’s passing, as she had confided in him that she could see spirits before her death. Tate embarks on a project to design a summer home for a friend in Cape Cod, where he encounters a young woman named Wren. Their relationship develops into something significant. However, their romance seems intertwined with mystery and tension, as Tate delves into Wren’s past, discovering underlying hatred, jealousy, and greed within her small-town community that could potentially pose a threat to their burgeoning connection.

A narrative exploring the potency of profound emotions, “Remain” invites reflection: Could love grant freedom not just from our deepest sorrows, but also transcend the limitations of life and death?

Indeed, it seems there might be more significant events unfolding here than just a passionate romance. However, only time will reveal the intricate details of what transpires.

According to Deadline’s casting report, both the film and book share the same fundamental idea, and will feature similar characters. However, they will be adapted to suit their unique storytelling formats.

As a devotee of both books and films by M. Night Shyamalan, I find myself in a dilemma: when the new book arrives, my instinct is to read it. However, this action invariably spoils the upcoming film for me. This predicament is common among those who prefer reading books before seeing their adaptations, but in this instance, I am spoiling an upcoming Shyamalan movie for myself. Therefore, I must make a choice.

The Remain Cast

As of now, here’s what we know about the cast for the upcoming movie by M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks:

1. Jake Gyllenhaall was announced to star in January this year.
2. Phoebe Dynevor joined the cast in March.
3. And in July, it was reported that Julie Hagerty and Tracy Ifeachor would also be part of the movie.

At the time of reporting, no title for the film had been revealed.

  • Jake Gyllenhaal
  • Phoebe Dynevor
  • Ashley Walters
  • Julie Hagerty
  • Jay O. Sanders
  • Tracy Ifeachor
  • Hannah James
  • Caleb Ruminer
  • Kieran Mulcare
  • Maria Dizzia

An M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks Collaboration

As mentioned, the book and film are both collaborations between filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and author Nicholas Sparks. When Sparks posted about the projects on Instagram in July, he talked about how he’d hoped to work with M. Night Shyamalan someday, and noted that it turned out, Shyamalan had been wanting to make a love story for a while:

Upon developing our shared concept, I immersed myself in writing the novel, while Night took on the task of producing the film. We eagerly look forward to presenting both versions of this chilling love tale to you very shortly!

Production on Remain

On July 18, 2025, M. Night Shyamalan announced the start of production on the film with the Instagram post above, showing him standing behind a clapboard for the movie, with a seaside view behind him. And one month later to the day, on August 19, star Jake Gyllenhaal posted on his own Instagram that production for the film had wrapped. In his post, he thanked the cast and crew for what he described as “one of the most joyful and inspiring experiences.”

The film has been completed (or wrapped up), and we’re likely moving on to post-production now. If it sticks to its planned release in October 2026, we’ll have to be patient for over a year before seeing it in theaters.

For anyone eager to start reading the story right away, you’ll be delighted to know that the book is scheduled to be released in October of this very year.

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2025-08-26 23:44