M. Night Shyamalan made a glorious comeback earlier this year with the release of Split. The pseudo sequel to his 2000 thriller Unbreakable had an unexpectedly significant impact on audiences, and that success has proven that there's obvious franchise potential in this dark and otherworldly "superhero" universe. That trend will continue with his upcoming sequel, Glass, and it seems that the Elijah Price-centric project has just found its newest cast member in the form of American Horror Story's Sarah Paulson.
The casting of Sarah Paulson in an M. Night Shyamalan movie like Glass feels pretty perfect when we consider her large body of work. With credits on every season of American Horror Story, she has proven herself incredibly capable when dealing with bizarre stories and universes populated by eccentric characters. Specific details concerning the Emmy-winning actress' role in the sequel have not been revealed yet, but when we consider her resume, it stands to reason that Shyamalan will likely take full advantage of her ability to inhabit characters who feel utterly weird. Who knows? We wouldn't even be shocked if she had two heads in the upcoming sequel.
Unlike Split, it appears that Glass will take the form of a direct sequel to Unbreakable and wear its continuity on its sleeve far more than the 2017 James McAvoy-fronted thriller. The film will center on Samuel L. Jackson's Elijah Price 19 years after the events of the original movie, and the story will see a reunion between David Dunn (Bruce Willis), Kevin Wendell Crumb (McAvoy), and Casey Cook (Anya Taylor-Joy).
This sequel is a project that Unbreakable fans have waited a long time to see, and the prospect of an ever-expanding Shyamalan universe is enticing, to say the least. Split gave us a brief look at what it could look like, but Glass will dive in and explore the far-reaching impact of these characters. Now that this world has received a proper origin story and explanation, Shyamalan can go all in and do what he does best: tell stories that are chock full of dark and magnetic personalities.
Glass is only the latest high-profile project on Sarah Paulson's to-do list these days. In addition to THR's announcement that she will take part in the upcoming M. Night Shyamalan sequel, the actress also recently finished working on Ocean's Eight (a female-oriented spin-off of Steven Soderberg's Ocean's Eleven franchise), alongside Sandra Bullock. Beyond that, she is currently in the middle of production on Steven Spielberg's The Papers with Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. She's known for taking on challenging roles that deliver phenomenal results, so all eyes are on her to once again steal the show when Glass finally debuts.
Glass is currently slated to debut in theaters on January 18, 2019. Give us your thoughts on Sarah Paulson's casting below, and check out our movie premiere guide for more on 2017's biggest theatrical film debuts!
