While M. Night Shyamalan’s last film, “Old,” was a financial success, its box office returns were almost certainly diminished by the pandemic. After all, theaters were still in the early stages of recovery when the movie arrived in July 2021. As such, it’s no wonder that Shyamalan is confident that his new, more high-profile film “Knock at the Cabin” will get even more butts in seats. “Let me be super-clear, audiences are dying to come to movie theaters to see great movies,” he told SFX Magazine (via Games Radar).
That’s a poor choice of words, perhaps. Known for the surprise twists in his films, Shyamalan also has a theory that some of the biggest blockbusters of all time would still be huge hits today (something I happen to agree with):
“If you released ‘Home Alone’ today, it would still be a gigantic hit. If you released ‘Back To The Future’ today, it’d be gigantic. And I think the industry is starting to see this, after getting distracted by the streamers and the pandemic.”
“Knock at the Cabin” will be theatrical exclusive, a smart choice considering how well the horror genre is performing at the box office right now. The fact that the animated film “Puss and Boots: The Last Wish” continues to fare well after its digital release is another great sign that theater chains are making a comeback.
Shyamalan is still excited that “Knock at the Cabin” will only be available to watch in theaters, at first. “Do I want you watching ‘Knock at the Cabin’ on a treadmill with your iPad? No, I don’t.”
“Knock at the Cabin” opens in theaters on February 3, 2023.