Is Ishana Shyamalan’s ‘The Watchers’ based on a book?

Trailers for the upcoming thriller The Watchers smartly kept the threats a mystery, so fans might be interested in answers if the film is based on a book. There’s a lot of hype surrounding the film, which releases on June 14, 2024.

Ishana Night Shyamalan directed The Watchers, and she is already a proven writer after working on Servant. Even horror icon Stephen King endorsed the show in 2021, calling it creepy and bingeworthy.

Ishana Shyamalan’s father is also veteran director M. Night Shyamalan, who is known for regularly writing his own material. So, many casual viewers might expect Ishana Shyamalan to continue that tradition and write her own material too.

Is The Watchers movie based on a book?

The latest trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures makes it clear that The Watchers is based on a novel of the same name by A.M. Shine. The main poster used for marketing the film also mentions author A.M. Shine, although the poster still says the film was written and directed by Ishana Shyamalan. This likely created some confusion among fans.

The Watchers’ new trailer, released on April 22, clearly states the film was written for the screen by Ishana Shyamalan. However, this also suggests that the film adaptation could potentially make some noticeable changes.

The Watchers is about a young artist who becomes trapped with strangers in a mysterious forest, where terrifying creatures threaten anyone outside of their bunker. The movie features an all-star cast, including Dakota Fanning as the main character Mina, Barbarian standout Georgina Campbell, and more.

Will The Watchers movie make any changes to the book?

A.M. Shine’s original book The Watchers released in 2022 to strong reviews. So, Ishana Shyamalan may not alter anything especially important. Trailers for The Watchers film remain secretive, only teasing the basic premise. As a result, the movie adaptation mostly resembles the source material thus far.

The novel’s iconic twists don’t need to be changed to fit the implied tone of the film. The cultural sincerity, survival elements, and thoughtful turns are already very accessible. The book also featured a relatively small cast of characters.

So, like most film adaptations, fans can probably expect the movie to simply condense some minor plot points for runtime. However, M. Night Shyamalan is known for his ability to surprise audiences, as seen in trailers for his promising new film coming this year, Trap. The Watchers novel also enjoyed subverting expectations.

It’s possible that Ishana Shyamalan might aim to create some original twists, so that even readers won’t be prepared for the film. In a post on Twitter, author A.M. Shine congratulated the filmmakers. Regardless of any potential changes, Shine regularly shows support for the adaptation.