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Ishana Night Shyamalan to make directorial debut with The Watchers

Ishana, a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, also directed the second unit of her father’s hit films Old (2021) and Knock at the Cabin (2023).

Ishana Night Shyamalan to make directorial debut with The Watchers

Writer Ishana Night Shyamalan, daughter of filmmaker M Night Shyamalan, is set to direct her first feature film titled The Watchers for production banner New Line Cinema.

Ishana, who recently served as writer and director on the critically-acclaimed Apple TV+ series Servant showrun by her father, has adapted her film from the A M Shine novel of the same name.


Production on the thriller will begin later this year with the studio eyeing a June 7, 2024 worldwide release, reported entertainment outlet Deadline.

The Watchers revolves around Mina, a 28-year-old artist who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland.

"When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers that are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night," the official logline read.

M Night Shyamalan and Ashwin Rajan are on board to produce the film through Blinding Edge Pictures. Nimitt Mankad with Inimitable Pictures will also serve as a producer, and Jo Homewood is attached as an executive producer.

"We couldn't be more excited to make Ishana's first film with 'The Watchers'. Equal parts visual, immersive, and terrifying, the script grips you from the first page and never let's go," said Richard Brener, President, and Chief Creative Officer, New Line Cinema.

Ishana, a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, also directed the second unit of her father's hit films Old (2021) and Knock at the Cabin (2023).

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5 mythological picks now streaming in the UK — must-watch

Why UK audiences are turning to Indian mythology — and the OTT releases driving the trend this year

Instagram/Netflix

5 mythological picks now streaming in the UK — and why they’re worth watching

Highlights:

  • Indian mythological titles are landing on global OTT services with better quality and reach.
  • Netflix leads the push with Kurukshetra and Mahavatar Narsimha.
  • UK viewers can access some titles now, though licensing varies.
  • Regional stories and folklore films are expanding the genre.
  • 2025 marks the start of long-form mythological world-building on OTT.

There’s a quiet shift happening on streaming platforms this year. Indian mythological stories, once treated as children’s animation or festival reruns, have started landing on global services with serious ambition. These titles are travelling further than they ever have, including into the UK’s busy OTT space.

It’s about scale, quality, and the strange comfort of old stories in a digital world that changes too fast. And in a UK market dealing with subscription fatigue, anything fresh, strong, and rooted in clear storytelling gets noticed.

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