M. Night Shyamalan has always been a director that shocked audiences. This movies consistently contain earth-shaking twists, with greats like The Sixth Sense and Signs showing all he was capable of. Another twist came with 2016's Split, where the final scene revealed it was set in the same universe as 2000's Unbreakable, heralding in a massive crossover film in Glass.
Glass has finally arrived in theaters, allowing the superpowered individuals from M. Night Shyamalan's two thrillers to collide. There's been an ton of buzz surrounding Glass since Split arrived in theaters, with moviegoers eager to see what comes from the comic book-inspired ensemble project. Opening night screenings occurred last night, with reports indicating that Shyamalan's new movie made $3.7 million during its first showings.
This news comes to us from Deadline, which reports the sum was accumulated across 3,200 theaters domestically. More theaters are set to open over the weekend, opening up Glass for more moviegoers, hopefully resulting in a strong box office performance. Split made a whopping $278.5 million in 2016, so the pressure is on to deliver another success.
Glass' opening night sum marks M. Night Shyamalan's biggest preview night ever. To do so, the crossover movie passed Split's $2 million haul, as well as The Last Airbender's $3 million opening. This might tease a great weekend for Glass, continuing the impressive upswing of Shyamalan's career over the past few years.
After a few disappointing movies, M. Night Shyamalan seemed to find his stride again with his most recent releases. The Visit was a genuinely terrifying spin on the found footage genre of horror, while Split was a fascinating thriller and a stunning performance by James McAvoy. The twist ending blew audiences out of the water, as 2000's Unbreakable suddenly came returned to the pop culture lexicon.
Glass will once again allow M. Night Shyamalan to comment on comic books. This is especially relevant in 2019, as cinematic universes and crossover events have become commonplace. It's a risky choice to combine both movies into a threequel, with a bevy of returning characters to service alongside newcomer Sarah Paulson.
Another risk involved in Glass is M. Night Shyamalan's personal funding of the film. Shyamalan has been using new successes to bankroll the following project, allowing the director/writer to maintain complete control over his movies. He's a director who is known for his vision and perspective, and Glass is a narrative that he's been crafting for decades.
With Glass finally in theaters, the time has to come to see how M. Night Shyamalan's money, time, and creative efforts ultimately pay off. But if its opening night performance is any indicator, the crossover project may have a strong run in theaters.
You can go see Glass now. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
