Even though M. Night Shyamalan has never worked on Stranger Things, he had a hand in the Netflix show’s creation. Matt and Ross Duffer, aka the Duffer Brothers, began developing the sci-fi series in 2015 and it debuted a year later. Stranger Things, now heading into season 4, has since become one of Netflix’s most popular shows. In fact, it’s one of the most-watched series across all networks and streaming services.
Shyamalan is best known for creating projects full of supernatural elements and major twists. He made his directorial debut in 1992 with the film Praying with Anger. He then went on to create hits like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs. Some of his other notable titles include The Happening, The Last Airbender, and The Visit. Shyamalan also turned Unbreakable into a trilogy with sequels, Split and Glass, the latter of which debuted in 2019.
Aside from filmmaking, M. Night Shyamalan also has experience in TV. He served as a director and executive producer on the Fox show, Wayward Pines, starting in 2015. It was then that Shyamalan began working alongside the Duffer Brothers. The duo previously wrote and directed their first big project, a psychological horror titled Hidden. The movie was meant to mimic Shyamalan’s tone and filmmaking style. Hidden wasn’t a success, leading the Duffer Brothers to question their future, but Shyamalan got a hold of their script. He then hired the pair as writers and producers on Wayward Pines and one thing kept leading to another.
How M. Night Shyamalan’s Wayward Pines Led To Stranger Things
While working on Wayward Pines, Shyamalan served as a mentor to the Duffer Brothers. They learned the ins-and-outs of developing a TV series while giving them the confidence to create something of their own. Wayward Pines only lasted two seasons and officially came to an end in 2016. Prior to that, the Duffer Brothers started working on their own series, Stranger Things, but it was still being developed under the title, Montauk. Before Netflix picked up the series, the original concept of Stranger Things went through a ton of changes.
If it hadn’t been for Shyamalan, the Duffer Brothers may have never received the experience and confidence boost needed to develop something like Stranger Things on their own. The opportunity to work on Wayward Pines came at the perfect time considering their future in the industry was unclear. The Duffers have mentioned a lot of great filmmakers as influences behind the series but Shyamalan also deserves more credit. They obviously still emulate his tone when it comes to psychological horror and the abundances of narrative twists.
There was talk that Shyamalan was interested in directing an episode of Stranger Things. That hasn’t occurred but there’s still plenty of time, bringing his creative relationship with the brothers to a full circle. As of now, Shyamalan is working on the second season of Apple TV+’s Servant as well as two untitled movies, but he would likely find time for Stranger Things if the Duffer Brothers came calling.
