M. Night Shyamalan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
M. Night Shyamalan
|
|
|---|---|
_(cropped_2).jpg)
Shyamalan in 2018
|
|
| Born |
Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan
August 6, 1970 Mahé, Puducherry, India
|
| Citizenship | U.S. |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Organization | Blinding Edge Pictures |
|
Works
|
Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Bhavna Vaswani
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 3, including Saleka and Ishana |
| Awards | Full list |
Manoj Nelliyattu "M. Night" Shyamalan (born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making movies with exciting and often surprising stories. His films often include supernatural elements and unexpected twist endings. Many of his movies have earned a lot of money around the world. Shyamalan has also received several important awards and nominations for his work.
Shyamalan was born in Mahé, India, and grew up in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania. He made early films like Praying with Anger (1992) and Wide Awake (1998). His big breakthrough movie was The Sixth Sense (1999). This film earned him nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. After that, he released other popular films such as Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), and The Village (2004).
Later, some of his films like Lady in the Water (2006) and The Last Airbender (2010) were not as popular. However, he made a strong comeback with The Visit (2015) and Split (2016). More recently, he has directed Glass (2019), Old (2021), Knock at the Cabin (2023), and Trap (2024).
Shyamalan has also worked on TV shows. He was an executive producer and sometimes director for the science fiction series Wayward Pines (2015–2016). He also worked on the psychological horror series Servant (2019–2023) for Apple TV+.
Contents
Early Life and Filmmaking Dreams
Shyamalan was born in Mahé, India. His parents moved to the United States when he was very young. He grew up in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania. He went to Waldron Mercy Academy and later Episcopal Academy for school.
When he was a child, Shyamalan loved making movies. He got a Super 8 camera at a young age. Even though his father wanted him to become a doctor, his mother encouraged his passion for filmmaking. By the time he was seventeen, he had already made 45 home movies! On many of his film DVDs, he includes a scene from one of these early movies.
Shyamalan attended New York University Tisch School of the Arts and graduated in 1992. He chose the name "Night" as his middle name because he liked how it sounded. He hoped his name alone would draw people to his films, like famous directors Hitchcock and Spielberg.
Shyamalan's Film Career
Shyamalan made his first film, Praying with Anger, while he was still a student. He borrowed money from family and friends to make it. He then wrote and directed Wide Awake, a story about a ten-year-old boy searching for God after his grandfather passes away.
In 1999, Shyamalan became famous worldwide with his movie The Sixth Sense. This film starred Bruce Willis and became one of the highest-earning horror movies of its time. The Sixth Sense was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
After The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan continued to make popular films. He wrote and directed Unbreakable (2000), which also starred Bruce Willis. This movie was a unique superhero story disguised as a thriller.
His next film was Signs, released in 2002. It starred Mel Gibson as a former priest who finds his faith again during an alien invasion. This movie was very successful.
In 2004, Shyamalan directed The Village. This film was about a hidden community living in the woods. It earned a lot of money at the box office.
Shyamalan had planned to direct a movie based on the book Life of Pi. However, he decided not to, because he felt his name might make people expect a twist ending, which could change their experience of the story.
His film Lady in the Water (2006) was a fantasy story about a water nymph. It did not do as well as his previous films. Next, he made The Happening, a science fiction thriller about a strange natural event causing people to act strangely.
In 2010, he directed The Last Airbender, based on a popular TV show. This film was not well-received by critics. In 2013, he directed After Earth, starring Will Smith and Jaden Smith. This movie also received mixed reviews.
However, Shyamalan made a strong return with The Visit in 2015. This low-budget horror-comedy was a big success. In 2017, he released Split, which was also very popular and earned a lot of money.
In 2019, he completed a trilogy of films with Glass. This movie connected the stories from Unbreakable and Split. His next film, Old, was released in 2021. It was a thriller about people aging quickly on a mysterious beach.
In 2023, Shyamalan's film Knock at the Cabin was released. It received mostly positive reviews. His most recent film, Trap, was released in 2024.
Television Work
Shyamalan has also been involved in television. He was an executive producer for the Apple TV+ series Servant. He also directed some episodes, including the first one.
He was also a key person in creating the science fiction series Wayward Pines (2015–2016) for Fox. He was an executive producer and directed the first episode of this popular show.
Production Company
Shyamalan has his own production company called Blinding Edge Pictures. It is located in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. This company has produced many of his films, including Servant, Wayward Pines, The Happening, The Visit, Split, and Old. The company is run by Shyamalan and Ashwin Rajan.
Personal Life
Shyamalan is married to Bhavna Vaswani, whom he met at New York University. They have three daughters, including director Ishana and musician Saleka.
Shyamalan and his family live near Philadelphia. He is a big fan of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team. In 2023, he bought a large estate in Pennsylvania.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Distributor |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Praying with Anger | Cinevistaas Limited |
| 1998 | Wide Awake | Miramax Films |
| 1999 | The Sixth Sense | Buena Vista Pictures |
| 2000 | Unbreakable | |
| 2002 | Signs | |
| 2004 | The Village | |
| 2006 | Lady in the Water | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 2008 | The Happening | 20th Century Fox |
| 2010 | The Last Airbender | Paramount Pictures |
| 2013 | After Earth | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 2015 | The Visit | Universal Pictures |
| 2016 | Split | |
| 2019 | Glass | |
| 2021 | Old | |
| 2023 | Knock at the Cabin | |
| 2024 | Trap | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 2026 | Remain  |
|
Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Awards and Recognition
In 2008, the Government of India honored Shyamalan with the Padma Shri award. This is one of the highest civilian awards in India. Shyamalan was also the head of the jury for the main competition section at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.
Images for kids
-
Shyamalan in 2018
-
Shyamalan at a press conference for The Happening in 2008.
-
M. Night Shyamalan and Bryce Dallas Howard at the Spanish premiere of The Village in 2006.
See also
In Spanish: M. Night Shyamalan para niños
