Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Director M. Night Shyamalan: A Talk from 'Development Hell'

Mar 31, 2024

Director M. Night Shyamalan discusses the challenges of screenplay writing, exploring his cinematic journey and the allure of failure. He reflects on 'Labor of Love', a script that has haunted him for 30 years, and transitions from emotional to genre storytelling. Shyamalan reveals personal reasons for rejecting projects and contemplates the evolution of perception in filmmaking.

58:16

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Episode guests

M. Night Shyamalan

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

M. Night Shyamalan's emotional connection to 'Labor of Love' reflects a piece of him he feels betrayed.

Genre helps Shyamalan balance emotional storytelling by exploring dark and light themes.

Fear of vulnerability led Shyamalan to prioritize external validation over emotional instincts in his work.

Deep dives

The emotional significance of the Labor of Love screenplay

The Labor of Love screenplay holds a significant emotional weight for M. Night Shyamalan, reflecting a piece of him that he feels he betrayed at one point. It started his career, chased him like a ghost, and remains unresolved. Shyamalan feels both haunted by and drawn to the purity and vulnerability encapsulated in this screenplay.

Introduction

2min

Exploring the Fascination of Failure in Movie-Making

8min

Exploring the Challenges of Screenplay Writing

14min

Exploring M. Night Shyamalan's Cinematic Journey and the Fascination with Failure

2min

Labor of Love: A Story of Devotion and Loss

13min

Transitioning to Genre Storytelling

6min

Exploring Genre as Emotional Protection

5min

Continuation of Story and Podcast Ad

3min

The Evolution of Perception

11min

10.

Credits and Financial Advice Promotion

2min

Today we're sharing two special conversations, featuring our friends at Revisionist History.

First, Malcolm Gladwell joins Sam to discuss "Development Hell," a new series about the untold stories of Hollywood that never left the page (2:00).

Then, we turn to Gladwell's recent sit-down with director M. Night Shyamalan (25:00). Before Shyamalan became a household name for his mind bending thrillers like “The Sixth Sense” and “Signs”, he was just a young screenwriter in love. And during those blissful early years of marriage he wrote a love story. The screenplay for “Labor of Love” sold right away, and over the next 30 years or so there would be numerous attempts to make it into a movie. There was a major studio, there were A-list directors, Shyamalan even found his perfect star. In this episode, M. Night Shyamalan reveals the script that haunts him.

To hear the full series from Revisionist History, listen here. For questions, comments, or to join our mailing list, reach me at sf@talkeasypod.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Director M. Night Shyamalan: A Talk from 'Development Hell'

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The emotional significance of the Labor of Love screenplay

Balancing emotions with genre in filmmaking

Fear of acceptance and vulnerability

Unrealized potential and fears of completion

Internal struggles and regrets

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts