M. Night Shyamalan is on his way back to the director’s chair, but there’s a twist. To be fair, how couldn’t there be a twist when the most twist-obsessed filmmaker is involved? This time around, he’ll be leaving the big-screen behind and shifting his focus to the small-screen, where he’ll pair up with Mattel to bring another one of the game company’s beloved toys to life in an episodic series. While we don’t know what the plot looks like just yet, the show, aptly titled Magic 8 Ball, will center around the titular long-loved toy that players ask a question to and are given one of 20 different answers ranging from fully non-committal, negative, or positive responses.
The Sixth Sense director took to social media to share the news, posting an image of the front of a script and a Magic 8 Ball with the caption, “Been working on this for a couple years… Who’s in?” off to the side. In addition to Shyamalan on board as the project’s helmer, the script reveals that it is certain that Brad Falchuk (Glee, American Horror Story, Scream Queens, 9-1-1) is the pilot’s scribe.
This is, of course, the latest foray for Mattel to dip into live-action storytelling that brings their lengthy catalogue of toys and games to life for audiences. While they’ve long been entertaining audiences with smaller-scale productions, things were kicked into high gear after the massive success of 2023’s Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling-led critically acclaimed feature, Barbie. Ahead of Shyamalan’s venture into the Magic 8 Ball-centered episodic production, the studio is set to release a slew of other titles, including Masters of the Universe starring Nicholas Galitzine and Alison Brie, Matchbox led by John Cena and Jessica Biel, A24’s Barney, American Girl and Hot Wheels.
What Else Is M. Night Shyamalan Up To?
After hitting a bump in the road thanks to his 2024 Josh Hartnett-led thriller, Trap, Shyamalan is back at it in the world of feature-length productions thanks to his pairing with celebrated author Nicholas Sparks on the upcoming project, Remain. Set for a release next year, the film is billed as a supernatural thriller with a romantic edge and will see leading performances from Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko), Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) and Ashley Walters (Top Boy).
As of right now, Shyamalan and Mattel’s Magic 8 Ball hasn’t set a release date.
via Collider