M Night Shyamalan almost wrote The Notebook film
The Notebook author Nicholas Sparks has revealed how horror movie legend M. Night Shyamalan was approached to write the screenplay for the 2004 romantic drama.
M. Night Shyamalan was approached to write The Notebook.
Author Nicholas Sparks has collaborated with acclaimed horror movie maestro on new book Remain - which is also being adapted for the big screen - but he has revealed they almost worked together over two decades ago on the 2004 adaptation of his romantic drama movie.
Sparks told Variety: "A long time ago, way back when The Notebook was being adapted for the screen, they approached a writer to write the script - it was M. Night Shyamalan."
However, the influential filmmaker didn't have the time, as he was "busy" working on another project.
Sparks quipped: "He was busy writing this movie, The Sixth Sense. I don't know if you've heard of that movie. I wonder how that eventually did?
"The original writer was Jan Sardi, and they decided to go with a new writer after that, that ended up being Jeremy Leven, but they had asked Night Shyamalan to do that.
"So we had been aware of each other’s career for a long time.”
Now, they are coming together to co-write the author's 25th novel, with their love for a good twist connecting them.
Remain is being released today (14.10.25), while there is a big screen adaptation to follow in 2026 starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor.
The book will follow Tate Donovan, a New York architect hoping to find a fresh start in Cape Cod, where he is moving to design his best friend's summer home.
He has been discharged from a psychiatric facility, having been diagnosed with acute depression following the death of his sister Sylvia, who revealed on her deathbed that she can see spirits still tied to the living world.
Tate finds it hard to believe what she's told him about their apparent family gift, but his world is turned upside down when he meets a young woman called Wren.
When Sparks and Shyamalan decided to work together, they each made a pitch that would cross over into each of their respective genres.
They chose the Trap filmmaker's ideas, with Sparks penning the novel, and Shyamalan working on the screenplay.
But the author teased: "If this all works, and we’re in between projects we might do mine. It’s a good love story, little scary.”
The pair are staying tight lipped about the project, although the writer promised "a little bit of a wink to Night and his past work" on the final page.
Meanwhile, they teased that the twist in the novel might not match the one in the film version.
Sparks said: "I will tell you that one of the questions I asked Night about is, do you want the ending to be the same? Do you want the twist to be the same?
“And we made a decision about that. You’ve gotta read the book and see the movie.”
