M. Night Shyamalan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids M. Night Shyamalan
Shyamalan in 2018
Born	Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan (1970-08-06) August 6, 1970 (age 54) Mahé, Puducherry, India
Nationality	American
Alma mater	New York University
Occupation	Director producer screenwriter actor
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
Honors	Padma Shri (2008)

Manoj Nelliyattu "M. Night" Shyamalan (/ˈʃɑːməlɑːn/ shah-MƏ-lahn; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making movies with supernatural stories and surprising twist endings. His films have earned over $3 billion worldwide. Shyamalan has received many awards and nominations, including for two Academy Awards and two BAFTA Awards.

Shyamalan was born in Mahé, India, and grew up in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania. His early films include Praying with Anger (1992) and Wide Awake (1998). He became famous with The Sixth Sense (1999). This movie earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

After The Sixth Sense, he made Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), and The Village (2004). Some of his later films, like Lady in the Water (2006) and The Last Airbender (2010), did not get good reviews. However, he made a comeback with The Visit (2015) and Split (2016). More recently, he directed Glass (2019), Old (2021), Knock at the Cabin (2023), and Trap (2024). All of these movies were successful at the box office.

Shyamalan 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+.

Early Life and Filmmaking Dreams

Shyamalan was born in Mahé, India. His parents moved to the United States when he was six weeks old. He grew up in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania. His father was a neurologist, and his mother was an OB-GYN.

Shyamalan attended a private Roman Catholic school and later an Episcopal high school. He felt different because he was Hindu in a Catholic school. He remembers a teacher being surprised when he got the best grade in religion class, even though he wasn't Catholic.

When he was young, Shyamalan received a Super 8 camera. He quickly developed a strong desire to make movies. His father wanted him to become a doctor, but his mother encouraged his passion for filmmaking. By the age of seventeen, he had already made 45 home movies. On the DVD releases of his films, he often includes a scene from one of these childhood movies.

Shyamalan's Film Career

Shyamalan at a press conference for The Happening in 2008.

Shyamalan made his first film, Praying with Anger, while still a student at New York University. He borrowed money from family and friends to make it. His second film was Wide Awake. This movie was about a ten-year-old Catholic schoolboy searching for God after his grandfather's death. The film was shot in a school Shyamalan attended as a child.

In the same year, Shyamalan helped write the script for Stuart Little. He also secretly helped write the 1999 teen comedy She's All That.

Breakthrough with The Sixth Sense

Shyamalan became famous around the world when he wrote and directed The Sixth Sense in 1999. This movie starred Bruce Willis. It became one of the highest-earning horror movies of all time. The Sixth Sense was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

After The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan wrote and directed Unbreakable (2000). This movie also starred Bruce Willis. It was a superhero film hidden within a thriller. It was successful with both critics and audiences.

Later Films and Comeback

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 film was very successful, earning $408 million worldwide.

Shyamalan then directed The Village (2004). It was about a hidden community living in the woods. Even though reviews were mixed, the movie earned $257 million.

M. Night Shyamalan and Bryce Dallas Howard at the Spanish premiere of The Village in 2006.

In 2006, he released Lady in the Water. This movie was a bedtime story about a water nymph. It did not do well with critics or financially.

In 2010, he directed The Last Airbender. This movie was based on the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender. It received a lot of criticism, especially for its casting choices. However, it still earned $319 million worldwide.

In 2013, Shyamalan directed After Earth, starring Will Smith and his son, Jaden. Critics did not like this film, but it made nearly $244 million. Shyamalan later said this time was full of doubts for him.

Shyamalan's reputation improved with his next film, The Visit. He funded this low-budget horror-comedy himself. It was about a brother and sister visiting their grandparents on a remote farm. Universal Pictures picked up the film, and it earned $98 million worldwide on a small budget.

In 2017, Shyamalan released Split. This movie was very successful, earning $279 million worldwide.

In 2019, he released Glass. This film was the final part of a trilogy that included Unbreakable and Split. It earned over $247 million worldwide.

His next film, Old, came out in 2021. It was a thriller about tourists who age quickly on a mysterious beach. The film received mixed reviews.

In 2023, Shyamalan's film Knock at the Cabin was released. It received mostly positive reviews and earned over $54 million worldwide.

In 2024, his film Trap was released. It earned over $82 million worldwide.

Television Work

Shyamalan is an executive producer for the Apple TV series Servant. He also directed several episodes, including the first one.

He also helped create the Fox science fiction series Wayward Pines (2015–2016). He was an executive producer and directed the pilot episode. This series became very popular.

Shyamalan's Production Company

Shyamalan's production company is 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 Village, Signs, Unbreakable, The Last Airbender, After Earth, The Visit, Split, Glass, and Old. The company is run by Shyamalan and Ashwin Rajan.

Books Written by Shyamalan

While working on his film The Happening, Shyamalan became interested in improving education in American schools. He published a book in 2013 called I Got Schooled: The Unlikely Story of How a Moonlighting Movie Maker Learned the Five Keys to Closing America's Education Gap. Critics said the book was well-written and offered new ideas for education.

Personal Life

Shyamalan is married to Bhavna Vaswani. They met at New York University. They have three daughters, including director Ishana and musician Saleka.

Shyamalan and his family live near Philadelphia on a large estate called Ravenwood. He is also a season ticket holder for the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team. In 2023, he bought another large estate from the Rockefeller family in Pennsylvania.

Filmography

Awards and Honors

In 2008, the Government of India honored Shyamalan with the Padma Shri award. This is one of India's highest civilian honors. Shyamalan was also the head of the jury for the main competition section at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.

Images for kids

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See also

In Spanish: M. Night Shyamalan para niños