M. Night Shyamalan avslöjar hemska detaljer kring samarbetet med Miramax och Harvey Weinstein

I samband med premiären av den nya filmen, Knock at the Cabin så har regissören M. Night Shyamalan som brukligt inför en premiär genomfört en hel uppsjö med intervjuer. I en av dessa, med The Hollywood Reporter berättade han hur det var att slå igenom i drömfabriken. Nog är han fortfarande mest känd för Sjätte Sinnet men redan året innan hamnade han mitt Hollywoodbruset i och med komedi-dramat Wide Awake, med Denis Leary, Dana Delany och Rosie O'Donnell i rollerna. Det gick inget vidare. Knappt tre miljoner spelade den in, med en budget på cirka 60 miljoner men foten var innanför dörren, på gott och ont. Det var visserligen en väg mot framgång men samarbetet med Miramax och Harvey Weinstein var allt annat än friktionsfritt. Så här sade han till The Hollywood Reporter:

I made Wide Awake for Miramax and Harvey Weinstein. I went through my own personal hell being there, but it was trial by fire. I didn't realize it at the time, but I started my career with the biggest monster that ever was. I was in that room with him all the time while he would say crazy things, but it built me up because I'm a softie. I love to play a lot of basketball, but if I get elbowed, I become a different person. And Harvey, clearly, would elbow you, so that created a warrior mentality in this soft kid from a sweet, loving family. But when I looked at the situation at Miramax, it felt like my career was over.

My reps said, "Miramax owns your directing. You can't direct anywhere else." In those days, contracts were crazy, and Miramax had some really tough contracts. But by some freak chance, they didn't own my writing. It was an error by their legal department, so I said, "I'll write the best screenplay ever and try to get out of here." So I sat down and looked at the Jaws, Alien, The Exorcist and Poltergeist posters on my wall and said, "I'll just write one of those. I love those." So I went into genre and suspense for the very first time, and everything just clicked. I was having so much fun. I had unlimited ideas.

Tack vare ett kryphål i kontraktet kunde han alltså göra Sjätte Sinnet och producera den med Buena Vista Pictures och resten är så att säga filmhistoria.

Knock at the Cabin visas på bio nu.