At this juncture it is probably too late for a spoiler alert if you have read the headline. As you are most likely aware, M. Night Shyamalan's critically acclaimed 2016 thriller Split occurs in the same universe as his 2000 feature Unbreakable. Putting the pieces in place for an inevitable crossover.
Be warned, possible spoilers ahead.
Eager to spill the beans on his own passion project this week, the director explained in great depth the title of the third in the franchise along with the release date. And let's not forget who of the main cast is returning and which studio he will be working with. The excitement was clearly too much for Shyamalan to keep bottled in as he gave an insight into a movie that is sure to garner a lot of attention come the turn of 2019.
Supervillain Takes Center Stage Next To Morphing Foe and Superhero
Shyamalan's creation has veered away from the normal trope in the superhero genre, focusing his attention firmly on ambiguous characters who range from the clinically insane to the best of intentions. Only in the closing scene of Unbreakable does the audience realize that Samuel L. Jackson's Mr. Glass has been a criminal mastermind all along, leaving the impenetrable David Dunn gobsmacked by the end.
James McAvoy's Kevin on the other hand is exactly what the title of Split suggests - transitioning from an innocent child to a monstrous Beast the next. This sets the foundation for an epic film where Jackson's persona seemingly takes center stage for the showdown event.
Narrative Nearly Two Decades In The Making
Posting up late at night, Shyamalan offered no less than 10 separate tweets divulging as much information as he possibly could.
"Okay. Here we go. Finished the new script," he tweeted. "It’s taken 17 years but I can finally answer the #1 question I get, 'Are you making a f#&@ing sequel to Unbreakable or what?... My new film is the sequel to #Unbreakable AND #Split. It was always my dream to have both films collide in this third film... The iconic Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn... The incomparable @SamuelLJackson will return as Elijah Price/Mr. Glass... The virtuoso #JamesMcAvoy returns as Kevin Wendell Crumb, Patricia, Dennis, Hedwig, Barry, Jade, Orwell, The Beast, Heinrich, Norma, Pol-...
And the prodigy, @AnyaTaylorJoy will return as Casey Cooke... I’m reteaming with my partners @jason_blum and @Universalpics for this crazy comic book thriller... And the film is called GLASS… Universal Pictures will release #Glass on January 18, 2019 all over the world. How’s that for not keeping a secret!"
That is the best non secret keeping we've seen yet, Mr. Shyamalan!
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