Director M. Night Shyamalan: A Talk from 'Development Hell'
Mar 31, 2024
auto_awesome
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.
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.
Balancing emotions with genre in filmmaking
Shyamalan reflects on how genre, particularly horror and supernatural elements, helped him balance his innately emotional nature in storytelling. He sees genre as a tool that allows him to explore both dark and light themes, showcasing the benevolent side of the universe through the darkness he portrays on screen.
Fear of acceptance and vulnerability
The fear of acceptance and vulnerability led Shyamalan to make decisions based on external validation rather than staying true to his emotional instincts. This fear of being criticized for creating something emotionally driven without the shield of genre protection influenced his choices regarding the Labor of Love screenplay.
Unrealized potential and fears of completion
The unfinished nature of the Labor of Love screenplay has driven Shyamalan's creative pursuits and fueled his productivity over the years. The fear that completing the screenplay might diminish its magic and jeopardize his subsequent work adds to the contemplative uncertainty surrounding this untold story.
Internal struggles and regrets
Shyamalan's internal struggles, regrets, and emotional connections to the Labor of Love screenplay reveal a deep-rooted conflict between personal purity and external pressures. The screenplay serves as a reflection of his past choices, fears, and aspirations, embodying both a source of creative inspiration and a haunting reminder of missed opportunities.
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.