Unbreakable | |
---|---|
Directed by | M. Night Shyamalan |
Written by | M. Night Shyamalan |
Produced by | M. Night Shyamalan Barry Mendel (1) Sam Mercer (1) Jason Blum (2–3) Marc Bienstock (2–3) Ashwin Rajan (3) |
Starring | Bruce Willis Samuel L. Jackson (1, 3) Spencer Treat Clark (1, 3) Charlayne Woodard (1, 3) Robin Wright Penn (1) James McAvoy (2–3) Anya Taylor-Joy (2–3) Betty Buckley (2) Sarah Paulson (3) |
Cinematography | Eduardo Serra (1) Michael Gioulakis (2–3) |
Edited by | Dylan Tichenor (1) Luke Ciarrocchi (2–3) Blu Murray (3) |
Music by | James Newton Howard (1) West Dylan Thordson (2–3) |
Production companies | Blinding Edge Pictures Touchstone Pictures (1) Barry Mendel Productions (1) Limited Edition Productions Inc. (1) Blumhouse Productions (2–3) Perfect World Pictures (3) Buena Vista International (3) |
Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (1, 3 (International)) Universal Pictures (2–3 (United States)) |
Release date | 2000–2019 |
Running time | 351 minutes |
Budget | $104 million (Total 3 films) |
Box office | $773.6 million (Total 3 films) |
The Unbreakable trilogy, [1] also known as the Eastrail 177 Trilogy, is an American superhero thriller and psychological horror film series. [2] The films were written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The trilogy consists of Unbreakable (2000), Split (2016), and Glass (2019).
The franchise features the character David Dunn, a man who discovers he has the abilities of a superhero. The series has been noted for its differences from more traditional superhero films, with Shyamalan's work referred to as "the first auteur shared superhero universe". It is the first superhero franchise that is written and directed by one person, in comparison to other popular films in the genre. [3] Shyamalan has noted that while it is based on comic book superheroes, and refers to comic books, it is not actually derived from comic book material itself. [4] In contrast to most superhero films, the series is also generally grounded in reality, [5] and is seen as a deconstruction of the superhero genre. [6] The series is thus considered to be a unique take on the superhero genre. [7]
The filmmaker has stated that the films are origin stories of people with unique gifts, with the intent being to acknowledge that every person has something special about them. Unbreakable has been labeled the first grounded superhero film, [8] while Split has been called the first solo supervillain origin story, [9] and Hollywood's first stealth sequel. [10] [11]
The series originated with the film Unbreakable , directed by Shyamalan and released in 2000. When M. Night Shyamalan conceived the idea for Unbreakable, the outline had a comic book's traditional three-part structure (the superhero's "birth", his struggles against general evil-doers, and the hero's ultimate battle against the "archenemy"). Finding the birth section most interesting, he decided to write Unbreakable as an origin story. [12] At the time, comic book themed superhero films were niche, so the film was marketed as a psychological thriller like Shyamalan's breakout film The Sixth Sense , rather than as a superhero film. According to Shyamalan, "I was on a conference call with the studio, and they were saying we can't mention the word 'comic books' or 'superheroes' because it's too fringe". [13]
Upon release in 2000, Bruce Willis revealed that Unbreakable was the first part of a planned trilogy. [14] Both Willis and Samuel L. Jackson pushed for a sequel or trilogy, with Willis stating "It's really built as a trilogy," but Shyamalan expressed uncertainty and said, "I can't tell you anything about them." Whether the film had a sequel depended upon how it would perform at the box office. [15] While Unbreakable was a moderate box office success, grossing $248 million worldwide on a $75 million budget, [16] it performed below expectations, earning about a third of what The Sixth Sense grossed. [13] Unbreakable gained more popularity over time and subsequently developed a cult following, [17] as the audience for comic book superhero films grew over time. [13] Out of Shyamalan's career, some have referred to Unbreakable as his best work. In terms of superhero films, it was listed in Time 's list of "Top 10 Superhero Films" of all time, ranked at number four. [18] Quentin Tarantino also included Unbreakable on his list of top 20 films released since 1992. [19]
The second film Split originated from the character of Kevin who had been in one of the early drafts of Unbreakable, but Shyamalan had pulled the character out, stating there were balancing issues at that time. With Split, he brought in some of the scenes he had written for Unbreakable around Kevin. [20] Split became a box office success, with over 2,000% return on investment (ROI), making it the most profitable film of 2017, [21] paving the way for a third film. [22] While Shyamalan has stated that he is usually not a fan of making sequels, [23] the stars of the first film, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, had asked him to consider making a sequel. Shyamalan then planned to make a trilogy, finally releasing the third film, Glass , in 2019 as the last. He has said he may continue making more if the inspiration for writing the material is there. [23]
David Dunn is the sole survivor of a devastating train wreck. Elijah Price is a mysterious stranger who offers a bizarre explanation as to why Dunn escaped without a single scratch, an explanation which threatens to change Dunn's family and his life forever.
During filming for The Sixth Sense , M. Night Shyamalan approached Bruce Willis for the role of David Dunn. Sometime after, Samuel L. Jackson and Willis were announced to be the two leads of the film. Prior to the film's production, Jackson met with Willis discussing the script. Principal photography began April 25, 2000, and finished in June the same year.
Kevin Wendell Crumb has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Karen Fletcher, although there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all of the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the wilful, observant Casey Cooke, Crumb reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him, as well as everyone around him, as the walls between his compartments shatter.
In October 2015, James McAvoy was cast as the film's primary antagonist, Kevin Wendell Crumb. Originally, Joaquin Phoenix was cast for the role. The same month, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Jessica Sula, and Haley Lu Richardson were cast in the film. Following cast announcements, Universal Pictures revealed the film's title as Split. Principal photography began in November 2015 and finished in June 2016.
Following the events of Split, security guard David Dunn uses his superstrength and supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb. As Dunn and Crumb engage in a series of escalating encounters, Elijah Price orchestrates everything from the background, all the while holding secrets critical to both men.
Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard, James McAvoy, and Anya Taylor-Joy reprise their roles from Unbreakable and Split. [24] In July 2017, Sarah Paulson was cast as a new character revealed to be Dr. Ellie Staple. [25] In November, Adam David Thompson was cast in an undisclosed role. [26] Principal photography began in October and finished in December 2017. [27]
Although the series was conceived as a trilogy, Shyamalan mentioned that he was open to a continuation if the inspiration came to him. [23] However, on January 8, 2019, he officially confirmed that no sequels are being planned, citing his lack of interest in building a cinematic universe. [28]
Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter | Story by | Producers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unbreakable | November 22, 2000 | M. Night Shyamalan | Sam Mercer, Barry Mendel & M. Night Shyamalan | ||
Split | January 20, 2017 | Jason Blum, Marc Bienstock & M. Night Shyamalan | |||
Glass | January 18, 2019 | Jason Blum, Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock & M. Night Shyamalan | |||
While the three movies are superhero films, in that unrealistic "super" powers are featured, Shyamalan notes that one of the main themes of the movies is that there are extraordinary powers in everyone. [23] He also notes that rather than being a "comic book movie" each of them is a movie about comic books. [23] While the movies are connected, each has a separate style. Unbreakable is a mystery film, regarding a man who is the sole survivor of a catastrophic train crash. Split is a horror movie, exploring the origin story of a supervillain, while Shyamalan has stated that Glass would have a different thematic feel as well. [23] Producer Jason Blum has referred to them as "superhero movies", noting that they are very different from Marvel Studios' films. [2]
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in the series.
Character | Unbreakable | Split | Glass |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | 2016 | 2019 | |
David Dunn The Protector The Green Guard The Overseer | Bruce Willis Davis Duffield Y | Bruce Willis C | Bruce Willis Colin Becker Y |
Kevin Wendell Crumb The Collective The Horde | Joey Hazinsky C [29] | James McAvoy | James McAvoy Owen Vitullo Y |
Elijah Price The Mastermind Mr. Glass | Samuel L. Jackson Johnny Hiram Jamison Y | Samuel L. Jackson Johnny Hiram Jamison Y P William Turner Y | |
Jai | M. Night Shyamalan C | ||
Penelope Crumb | Dianne Cotten Murphy C [30] | Rosemary Howard C | |
Joseph Dunn | Spencer Treat Clark | Spencer Treat Clark | |
Mrs. Price | Charlayne Woodard | Charlayne Woodard | |
Audrey Dunn | Robin Wright Penn Laura Regan Y | Robin Wright A | |
Kelly Woman on Train | Leslie Stefanson | Leslie Stefanson A | |
Train Engineer | Marc H. Glick | Marc H. Glick A | |
Dr. Dubin | Michael Kelly | ||
Dr. Mathison | Eamonn Walker | ||
The Orange Man | Chance Kelly | ||
Casey Cooke | Anya Taylor-Joy Izzie Coffey Y | Anya Taylor-Joy | |
Dr. Karen Fletcher | Betty Buckley | ||
Claire | Haley Lu Richardson | ||
Marcia | Jessica Sula | ||
John Cooke | Brad William Henke | ||
Mr. Cooke | Sebastian Arcelus | ||
Dr. Ellie Staple | Sarah Paulson | ||
Clarence Wendell Crumb | Bryan McElroy | ||
Daryl | Adam David Thompson | ||
Pierce | Luke Kirby [31] |
Film | Composer(s) | Editor | Cinematographer | Production companies | Distributor(s) | Running time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unbreakable | James Newton Howard | Dylan Tichenor | Eduardo Serra | Touchstone Pictures Blinding Edge Pictures Barry Mendel Productions Limited Edition Productions Inc. | Buena Vista Pictures | 106 minutes |
Split | West Dylan Thordson | Luke Franco Ciarrocchi | Mike Gioulakis | Blumhouse Productions Blinding Edge Pictures | Universal Pictures | 117 minutes |
Glass | Blu Murray Luke Franco Ciarrocchi | Blumhouse Productions Blinding Edge Pictures Buena Vista International | Universal Pictures Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | 128 minutes | ||
Unbreakable was a moderate box office success, grossing $248.1 million in ticket sales on a $75 million budget, [16] but there was minimal profit and it performed below expectations, earning about a third of what The Sixth Sense grossed. [13] Unbreakable underperformed at the box office due to several reasons, primarily because many people expected it to be a similar film to Shyamalan's smash success psychological horror film, The Sixth Sense, which it was not.
Split grossed $278 million against a $9 million budget, becoming a surprise box office success. [32] Split became a box office success, with over 2,000% return on investment (ROI), making it the most profitable film of 2017 and one of the most profitable films of all time. [21]
Film | U.S. release date | US gross | International gross | Worldwide gross | Budget | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unbreakable | November 22, 2000 | $95,011,339 | $153,106,782 | $248,118,121 | $75 million | [16] |
Split | January 20, 2017 | $138,291,365 | $140,162,993 | $278,454,358 | $9 million | [33] |
Glass | January 18, 2019 | $111,048,468 | $135,950,571 | $246,999,039 | $20 million | [34] |
Total | $344,351,172 | $429,220,346 | $773,571,518 | $104 million | [35] |
Film | Critical | Public | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore [36] | ||
Unbreakable | 70% (175 reviews) [37] | 62 (31 reviews) [38] | C | |
Split | 78% (313 reviews) [39] | 62 (48 reviews) [40] | B+ | |
Glass | 36% (404 reviews) [41] | 43 (53 reviews) [42] | B |
Film | Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unbreakable | Saturn Award | June 12, 2001 | Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film | Nominated | [43] | |
Black Reel Award | February 12, 2001 | Best Film Poster | Nominated | [44] | ||
Golden Trailer Award | 2001 | Best Horror/Thriller Film | Won | [45] | ||
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | April 10, 2001 | Favorite Actor – Suspense | Bruce Willis | Nominated | [46] | |
Samuel L. Jackson | Nominated | |||||
Favorite Supporting Actor – Suspense | Spencer Treat Clark | Nominated | ||||
Favorite Supporting Actress – Suspense | Robin Wright Penn | Nominated | ||||
Bram Stoker Award | 2001 | Best Screenplay | M. Night Shayamalan | Nominated | [47] | |
Nebula Award | April 28, 2001 | Best Script | Nominated | [48] | ||
International Horror Guild Award | September 1, 2001 | Best Film | Nominated | [49] | ||
Split | London Film Critics' Circle | January 22, 2017 | Young British/Irish Performer of the Year | Anya Taylor-Joy (also for Morgan and The Witch ) | Nominated | [50] |
MTV Movie & TV Awards | May 7, 2017 | Best Actor in a Movie | James McAvoy | Nominated | [51] | |
Saturn Awards | June 28, 2017 | Best Thriller Film | Split | Nominated | [52] | |
Best Supporting Actress | Betty Buckley | Nominated | ||||
Teen Choice Awards | August 13, 2017 | Choice Movie: Villain | James McAvoy | Nominated | [53] | |
San Diego Film Critics Society | December 11, 2017 | Best Actor | James McAvoy | Won | [54] [55] | |
Seattle Film Critics Society | December 18, 2017 | Villain of the Year | James McAvoy (as Dennis & The Horde) | Won | [56] | |
Casting Society of America | January 18, 2018 | Studio or Independent – Drama | Douglas Aibel, Diane Heery, Jason Loftus and Henry Russell Bergstein | Nominated | [57] | |
Empire Awards | March 18, 2018 | Best Horror | Split | Nominated | [58] [59] | |
Glass | Golden Raspberry Awards | March 16, 2020 | Worst Supporting Actor | Bruce Willis | Nominated | [60] |
Golden Trailer Awards | May 29, 2019 | Best Thriller Poster | Glass (Lindeman & Associates) | Won | [61] [62] | |
Best Motion Poster | "Motion Posters" (Lindeman & Associates) | Nominated | ||||
Most Original Poster | "Cracked" (Lindeman & Associates) | Nominated | ||||
National Film & TV Awards | December 3, 2019 | Best Actor | James McAvoy | Nominated | [63] [64] | |
People's Choice Awards | November 10, 2019 | Favorite Drama Movie | Glass | Nominated | [65] | |
Favorite Drama Movie Star | Samuel L. Jackson | Nominated | ||||
Favorite Drama Movie Star | Sarah Paulson | Nominated | ||||
Saturn Awards | September 13, 2019 | Best Action or Adventure Film | Glass | Nominated | [66] |
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient claims he can see and talk to the dead.
Unbreakable is a 2000 American superhero thriller film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robin Wright. It is the first installment in the Unbreakable film series. In Unbreakable, David Dunn (Willis) survives a train crash with no injuries, leading to the realization that he harbors superhuman abilities. As he begins to grapple with this discovery, he comes to the attention of disabled comic book store owner Elijah Price (Jackson), who manipulates David to understand him.
Signs is a 2002 American science fiction horror film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and produced by Shyamalan, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy and Sam Mercer. The film was produced by Blinding Edge Pictures and The Kennedy/Marshall Company. It was distributed by Touchstone Pictures theatrically, and by Touchstone Home Entertainment in home media format. Starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, the story focuses on a former Episcopal priest named Graham Hess who discovers a series of crop circles in his cornfield and that the phenomenon is a result of extraterrestrial life. Signs explores the themes of faith, kinship and extraterrestrials.
Manoj Nelliyattu "M. Night" Shyamalan is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe.
James Newton Howard is an American film composer and music producer. He has scored over 100 films and is the recipient of a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, and nine nominations for Academy Awards.
A superhero film is a film that focuses on superheroes and their actions. Superheroes are individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities dedicate their lives to protecting the public. These films typically feature action, adventure, fantasy, or science fiction elements. The first film about a particular character often focuses on the hero's origin story and typically introduces the hero's nemesis.
Blinding Edge Pictures is an American film and television production company, founded in 1998 by M. Night Shyamalan. The company is known for producing films, such as the Unbreakable series, Signs, The Village, The Happening, After Earth, The Visit, Old and Knock at the Cabin.
The Happening is a 2008 science fiction thriller film written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, and Betty Buckley and revolves around an inexplicable natural disaster causing mass suicides.
The Last Airbender is a 2010 American action adventure fantasy film written, co-produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Based on the first season of the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–08), the film stars Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, and Cliff Curtis. The plot follows Aang, a young Avatar who must master all four elements of air, water, fire, and earth and restore balance to the world while stopping the Fire Nation from conquering the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom.
James McAvoy is a Scottish actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in The Near Room (1995) and appeared mostly on television until 2003, when his film career began. His notable television work includes the thriller State of Play (2003), the science fiction miniseries Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (2003), and the drama series Shameless (2004–2005).
Devil is a 2010 American supernatural horror film directed by John Erick Dowdle. The screenplay by Brian Nelson was from a story by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Geoffrey Arend, Bojana Novakovic, Jenny O'Hara, and Bokeem Woodbine, the film revolves around five strangers who become trapped in an elevator. Devil was released on September 17, 2010. Critics praised the film's atmosphere and performances, but criticized the short running-time.
American actor Bruce Willis began his career in 1980 with an uncredited role in The First Deadly Sin. After guest-starring in a 1984 episode of Miami Vice, he appeared in the first episode of the 1985 revival of The Twilight Zone. Willis achieved fame starring in the ABC comedy-drama series Moonlighting (1985–1989), for which he received three Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. In 1988, he starred as John McClane in Die Hard (1988), a film that spawned four sequels that earned him international recognition as an action hero.
Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, Taylor-Joy left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her breakthrough came with a leading role in the horror film The Witch (2015). She continued with roles in the horror film Split (2016) and its sequel Glass (2019), the black comedy film Thoroughbreds (2017), and the television crime drama series Peaky Blinders (2019–2022).
Split is a 2016 American psychological thriller film written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and starring James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Betty Buckley. The film follows a man with dissociative identity disorder who kidnaps and imprisons three teenage girls in an isolated underground facility.
David Dunn is a fictional superhero and protagonist in M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable film series, portrayed by American actor Bruce Willis. Dunn is a former college football prodigy and a security guard who discovers he has superhuman abilities. He is the protagonist in Unbreakable, makes a cameo in Split, and again is a major character in Glass.
Glass is a 2019 superhero film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who also produced with Jason Blum, Marc Bienstock, and Ashwin Rajan. The film is a crossover and sequel to Shyamalan's previous films Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016) and the third and final installment in the Unbreakable trilogy. Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Spencer Treat Clark, and Charlayne Woodard reprise their Unbreakable roles, while James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy return as their Split characters, with Sarah Paulson, Adam David Thompson, and Luke Kirby joining the cast. The film sees David Dunn / The Overseer as he and Kevin Wendell Crumb / The Horde are captured and placed in a psychiatric facility with Elijah Price / Mr. Glass, where they contemplate the authenticity of their superhuman powers.
Servant is an American psychological horror television series created by Tony Basgallop, with executive producer M. Night Shyamalan acting as showrunner, and produced for Apple TV+. Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free and Rupert Grint star in all four seasons of the series, which premiered on November 28, 2019, and concluded with the end of its fourth season on March 17, 2023.
Michael Gioulakis is an American cinematographer, best known for his work with directors David Robert Mitchell, M. Night Shyamalan, and Jordan Peele.
Indian-American filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan began his career in 1992 with the student film Praying with Anger, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. He then wrote the screenplays for the comedy movies Wide Awake and Stuart Little (1999). In 1999, he rose to prominence for writing and directing the supernatural movie The Sixth Sense, for which he received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. He then wrote, directed, and produced the superhero movie Unbreakable, the first entry in the Eastrail 177 Trilogy followed by Split in 2016 and Glass in 2019.
Knock at the Cabin is a 2023 American apocalyptic psychological horror film written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, who wrote the screenplay from an initial draft by Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman. It is based on the 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay, the first adaptation of one of his works. The film stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint. In the film, a family is vacationing at a remote cabin when they are suddenly held hostage by four strangers who ask them to do something unimaginable.