Shyamalan Talks ‘Unbreakable’ Sequel
While promoting today’s DVD release of The Happening, M. Night Shyamalan spoke about a possibly sequel to his super-powered story, Unbreakable.
During a press conference, the stylish director admitted, "How bizarre. I want to write it right now, but I want to write it for the right reasons. I want a story to pop into my head that is organic and expressive of who I am. You know, these are all kind of journals of where I am emotionally, so it’s kind of hard. I’m kind of trying to go back to the journal that existed in 1999 for me. But I know me: As soon as I give up on it is when the idea will come to me. It’s just I need to go into therapy; I guess that’s the end of that answer to this."
Of course, given the tepid reception his last efforts have received, the temptation to revisit a previous success has grown. Not that he ever admitted that as a motivation. Instead, he said, "I’m a strange creature. When Unbreakable came out, I was like, ‘God, man I’m so excited.’ I thought [it] was like comic books. No one has really done comic books like this: reality-based comic books. I really think this is a metaphor for things that people can go crazy over."
The film was more a commercial than critical success so demand was always there for a follow-up story. "When the reaction was mixed, kind of a disappointment, I was pettily hurt, and I was like, ‘God, I took so many incredible risks and things like that.’ I felt really hurt, and I couldn’t bring myself to write," he said.
He said filmmaking gave him an intimate connection with people. "It’s literally like a relationship I have with the audience. … And then, over the years, as it just grew and grew and grew, and people were like, ‘You know, I really like that. That’s actually my favorite movie, and I watch that all the time,’ and on and on. I’ll be on the street, and some kid will run across traffic with it in his backpack–he just is carrying it in his backpack–and he’ll be running [saying], ‘I can’t believe it’s you!’ Will you sign my Unbreakable DVD?’ And quoting the thing and all that stuff."
Would Unbreakable 2 feature Willis and Jackson?
I'd think it would have to feature Willis, but not necessarily Jackson.
I wasn't sure where to try to get a message to M. Night, but here goes. Just bought "The Happening" on DVD because I liked the premise, and the performances, while uneven, were effective in the theatre.I then popped in my copy of "Unbreakable" and cried through most of it. It is an indisputable work of art, despite what idiots might say. I want to convey to Mr. Shyamalan that artistic redemption, as he no doubt feels in his heart from what I've read, lies in completing the trilogy. The perspective of heroes and their archvillians about what life comprises is a timeless, compelling message. Please, by all means, write it, sir.
I don't think an Unbreakable sequel should be made. That ending was just so perfect that I think it should just be left at that. As you said, it's a work of art and it's so powerful… Personally, I just think that, no matter the intentions of M. Night, any sequel just wouldn't be very good. I just think that Unbreakable is one of those things that can't have a decent sequel. Of course, I would be thrilled if I was wrong, but I just can't see how a decent sequel could be made… I do hope that I'm wrong, I really do…
I liked Unbreakable pretty much but one thing made it less than the excellent film I was hoping it was.I anyone hasn't seen it:SPOILERSPACESam Jackson, the comic book fan, aficionado and comic art collector, is the villain. And he's insane on top of it. Great. All his dialogue about the validity of comics as an art just lost all credibility.