A teaser trailer for Ishana Night Shyamalan's directorial debut, The Watched, has been released by Warner Bros. Pictures.
The supernatural horror movie, which was first announced in February 2023, is based on the novel The Watchers by A. M. Shine. The film follows 28-year-old artist, Mina, as she finds herself stranded in a forest in Ireland. When Mina locates shelter for the night, a mysterious building with glass walls, she discovers it is already being used by three other strangers. Each night that passes brings with it a collection of disturbing creatures lurking unseen in the shadows. The transparent walls allow Mina and her fellow captives to see out into the forest, but the glass goes both ways.
Although the film is being released under the same title as the novel in the United States, the name has been changed to The Watched for its UK release. The explanation for this is unknown, with EMPIRE reporting that it could be for copyright reasons.
The cast, led by Dakota Fanning as Mina, also includes Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouéré as the three strangers.
The Watched is being written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan in her feature debut, having previously worked as a writer and director for the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Servant. The 23-year-old is the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan, and served as a second unit director for Old (2021). Shyamalan's father will act as a co-producer for The Watched alongside Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad.
M. Night Shyamalan is known for films such as Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), and Split (2016). He was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for The Sixth Sense (1999), starring Bruce Willis.
The Watched is released in cinemas worldwide on 7th June 2024.
