Everything We Know So Far About M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Knock at the Cabin’
Whether or not you’re a fan of director M. Night Shyamalan’s creative output, one thing is for sure: You have an opinion on it. The creator managed to win nearly universal acclaim with his early career effort, The Sixth Sense. But Shyamalan has polarized audiences with many of his subsequent filmic efforts, being celebrated as a genius by some and labeled a one-hit wonder by some of his detractors.
As for the director’s latest offering, Knock at the Cabin, it is slated for release in February 2023. And in light of that, plus the release of the official trailer, we have pieced together everything we know about the picture to date. So, brace yourself for a hefty helping of Knock at the Cabin news!
The film is based on an award-winning novel
With the gag order finally lifted, official word has been passed down that Knock at the Cabin is an adaptation of the Paul G. Tremblay novel, The Cabin at the End of the World. Fans have been speculating on a connection between the two properties for some time. But Tremblay was under strict orders to keep quiet until very recently.
Once he was given the go-ahead to speak about the project, Tremblay revealed that Shyamalan wasn’t the first director attached. He originally started as a producer and later came on board to rewrite the script and helm the production. Shyamalan is the only credited screenwriter on the film’s IMDb page (with Tremblay receiving a credit as the author of the tome on which the project is based). Accordingly, it sounds like the director may have scrapped most or all of the initial drafts and started fresh. Otherwise, we’d likely see another writer credited.
The Bram Stoker Award-winning tome follows Eric, Andrew, and their daughter, Wen as they escape the hustle and bustle at a (very!) remote cabin in the New Hampshire wilderness. Their idyllic escape is interrupted when a group of strangers break into their dwelling and inform the family that one of them must die in order to halt the forthcoming apocalypse.
While that represents a rough outline of what unfolds in the book from which the film is being adapted, no details have been released regarding the narrative of Shyamalan’s interpretation of said book. In fact, the picture’s IMDb synopsis simply reads: “Plot details kept under wraps.”
That could mean that the narrative of Knock at the Cabin will deviate, noticeably, from the source material or it could just be to add mystique. Either way, we will keep you apprised as we learn more.
Production concluded over the summer
Shyamalan took to social media to reveal that principal photography concluded on the project in July. And we know that the film is slated for release (after being pushed forward a couple of weeks) on February 3, 2022. The picture was initially slotted for a February 17th theatrical bow.
The names of several key cast members have been revealed
Thus far, we know Dave Bautista (Dune) will appear in a starring role. The actor was cast on the strength of his performance in Blade Runner 2049. Shyamalan was reportedly impressed by Bautista’s ability to communicate a great deal with only facial expressions and body language. Perhaps that means his character will be the strong, silent type? Your guess is as good as ours.
Rupert Grint has also been cast in a leading role; Nikki Amuka-Bird (with whom Shyamalan previously collaborated on Old) has been announced as a cast member; Ben Aldridge (of the Netflix film, The Titan) is on board; as is Abby Quinn (Black Mirror); Jonathan Groff (The Matrix Resurrections) was previously announced. Newcomer Kristen Cui has been tapped to play Wen.
The trailer gives off ominous and intense energy
The preview, which you can scope for yourself below, introduces us to the kind of family Norman Rockwell may have painted if he were alive and working today. But moments after we meet the central characters, their peaceful existence is interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious stranger.
Well, that concludes everything we know so far about Knock at the Cabin. Make sure to follow us on Twitter for all the latest in genre film news and so much more!
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