M. Night Shyamalan is an American filmmaker renowned for his supernatural storytelling and unexpected plot twists. Born Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan on August 6, 1970, in Mahé, India, he moved to the United States at the age of six, growing up in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania.
Shyamalan’s film career began with “Praying with Anger” (1992) and “Wide Awake” (1998), but he gained widespread acclaim with “The Sixth Sense” (1999), earning Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
He continued to explore supernatural themes in films like “Unbreakable” (2000), “Signs” (2002), and “The Village” (2004).
After a series of less successful projects, Shyamalan experienced a resurgence with “The Visit” (2015) and “Split” (2016). His more recent works include “Glass” (2019), “Old” (2021), “Knock at the Cabin” (2023), and “Trap” (2024), a thriller starring Josh Hartnett.
In addition to filmmaking, Shyamalan is involved in philanthropic efforts through the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation, which supports leaders working to overcome poverty and social injustice.
Looking ahead, Shyamalan is collaborating with author Nicholas Sparks and actor Jake Gyllenhaal on a supernatural romantic thriller, with Sparks penning a novel and Shyamalan adapting it into a screenplay.
For more insights into his work, you might find this interview with M. Night Shyamalan insightful: