Movies - TV
M. Night Shyamalan Sees His Movies' Marketing As 'Part Of The Storytelling'
By SHANIA RUSSELL
M. Night Shyamalan has kept moviegoers on their toes with films like “The Sixth Sense,” “Signs,” and “Old,” so it’s safe to say that the director clearly values the power of a surprise reveal. After many years in the business, Shyamalan has also learned a thing or two about making sure that the marketing works in tandem with his movie's storytelling.
In an interview with TotalFilm, Shyamalan addressed the issue of revealing too much in the trailer for “Knock At The Cabin,” which hits theaters on February 3, 2023. He believes that trailers are a crucial part of the narrative, and as most people's introduction to the story, it becomes a place to hint at what's going on while hiding the truth of the matter.
He said, “There are 'cards-up' high-concepts and ‘cards-down’ high-concepts that are in the movie. The ‘cards-down’ high-concepts are for the moviegoing experience. So we have those clear discussions, and even if the marketeers are going, ‘Wow, if we took that cards-down thing, and just put it up…’ I'll be like, ‘No, no, no. That's not how we do it. You guys are part of the storytelling.’”
Footage from the early trailers feels as if it comes from the first half of the film, but since the story is based on Paul Tremblay's award-winning novel “The Cabin at the End of the World,” fans can speculate about the ending with the source material to help them. Of course, there's really no guessing how Mr. Surprise Reveal will transform the story for his film.