M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks team up for Remain project

M. Night Shyamalan, known for his narrative bending sci-fi and horror films such as The Sixth Sense and Split, is teaming up with a surprising collaborator: Nicholas Sparks, the bestselling romance novelist known for The Notebook and A Walk To Remember.

This collaboration seems unlikely, though historically, the two have a connection with Sparks recommending that Shyamalan work on the rewrite of the feature film adaptation of The Notebook (2004). Conceived as a project to highlight their respective narrative mediums, Remain (2027) is Shyamalan’s attempt at adapting the pair’s original idea after Sparks published a novel version in 2025 with Shyamalan credited as co-author.

Remain (2027) is also the first collaboration between M. Night Shyamalan and Jake Gyllenhaal, the latter which approached the director for a role and was quickly won over by Sparks’ novelization of the story. The story follows Tate Gordon (Gyllenhaal), a reclusive architect moving to a small coastal town, who finds himself entangled by the mysterious Wren (Phoebe Dynevor) as he stays at a small bed-and-breakfast and designs a beach house. Tate quickly realizes that Wren is entangled in the town’s past, getting him involved in a dark mystery that blends small town mystery and the supernatural.

Filmed in Rhode Island, Remain (2027) is sure to bring the coastal horror vibes, promising an intriguing blend of horror, mystery, and romance. Additional cast includes Ashley Walters, Julie Hagerty, and Jay O. Sanders.

Remain (2027) has a story by Shyamalan and Sparks, with screenplay and directing coming solely from M. Night Shyamalan. The film releases nationwide on Feb. 5, 2027.