Ishana Night Shyamalan shares images from ‘The Watchers’

The new supernatural thriller ‘The Watchers’ is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 14, which is based on the novel of the same name by author AM Shine and was produced by acclaimed filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (‘Unbreakable’) and directed by his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamala (‘Handmaid’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of attending an event called “Summer of Shyamalan,” which included a screening of the new trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap,’ as well as 10 minutes of footage from first-time director Ishana Night Shyamalan’s film. The watchers.’

Related article: Director M. Night Shyamalan talks about the ‘Trap’ trailer and explains the new film

What images did we see?

The screening began with a sequence from the film showing Mina, played by Dakota Fanning, traveling in a car with her pet bird, Darwin. When Mina comes across a “Point of No Return” sign, her car breaks down and she starts walking looking for help. Mina soon begins to get lost and she can’t find her way back to the car. After being attacked by a group of bats, Mina sees someone running through the forest and follows him.

Mina discovers an older woman standing in front of a mysterious door in the forest. The woman says: “If you want to live, you will have to run.” Mina runs to the door and is led into a strange room where she is locked in with the woman and two other strangers. It is explained to Mina that she will be safe if she stays in the room because the Watchers cannot enter.

Mina notices a large window in the room and is suddenly told to get in line with the other strangers to meet the Watchers. The sequence ends with a character saying, “Welcome to the show.” The scene was followed by the screening of the new trailer, which was released today and which you can watch below.

What did Ishana Night Shyamalan say about ‘The Watchers’?

After the screening, we had the opportunity to speak exclusively with writer and director Ishana Night Shyamalan about her work on ‘The Watchers.’

Moviefone: To start, can you tell us about the adaptation of the novel and the themes you wanted to explore with this film?

Ishana Night Shyamalan: I think so many things. That was something I took into account when entering. Now I know it’s an incredible amount of work and it takes a lot of stamina and you get lost in so many ways. My dad gave me this advice: “Look for the piece that has an endless well for you. You can never seem to stop thinking about it and you go deeper and deeper.” This book came to me and I felt like I had that. It had the touch of fantasy that interests me and a very beautiful horror structure, and I felt that you could paint characters and play with them. So it just had those elements and it also felt very representative of me and what I was facing now.

MF: Obviously, with your last name, audiences will expect a certain type of film from you. Did you accept that or deliberately try to reverse expectations?

IN S: Absolutely. I think I’ve always been very aware, at least in my mind, of what the perception is going to be and what the expectations are. I was really interested in playing with those expectations. So, starting with something that felt expected and then expanding to something that is very much me and like an indication of what I want to do. So my hope is that it makes it where it satisfies the feeling you want, but then takes you somewhere else a little bit.

MF: Finally, did you seek advice from your father while making the film or did you want to do it on your own?

IN S: He has been simply the most incredible mentor throughout this entire process. He cares a lot, which can be very overwhelming for me at times. I think there’s constantly an ego thing in me that makes me say, “I want to do this on my own. I don’t want to be tied to your way of thinking.” It’s just me being a selfish young man. That’s why I constantly try to honor the opportunity I’ve been given. I was born into this life where I have access to an amazing artist here. So, it’s a wonderful, wonderful thing. I hope I have made you proud in the process.

When will ‘The Watchers’ be in theaters?

‘The Watchers’ is scheduled to premiere on June 14.

What is the plot of ‘The Watchers’?

Mina (Dakota Fanning), a 28-year-old artist, is stranded in a vast virgin forest in the west of Ireland. Finding shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures every night.

Who is part of the cast of ‘The Watchers’?

(L to R) Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan of ‘Trap’ and writer-director Ishana Shyamalan of ‘The Watchers’ attend the “Summer of Shyamalan” event at Soho House on April 16, 2024 in West Hollywood , California. Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Warner Bros.

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