M. Night Shyamalan Meets Nicholas Sparks in the Twisted First Trailer for 'Remain'

If you told me a few years ago that the mind behind The Sixth Sense and the author of The Notebook would someday join forces, I'd have asked what you were smoking. And yet here we are: Warner Bros. has dropped the first trailer for Remain, and it might be the most unexpected pairing of the year.

Remain stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Bridgerton breakout Phoebe Dynevor in a supernatural romantic thriller written and directed by Shyamalan, built around a story he developed alongside Sparks. The two didn't adapt one another's work in the traditional sense — Sparks published his own novel version in 2025, while Shyamalan wrote an original screenplay from the same shared premise. Two different creators, two different mediums, one haunted love story.

What's It About?

Gyllenhaal plays Tate, a grieving architect who relocates to a small coastal town for a new project after leaving a psychiatric facility. While staying at a historic bed and breakfast, he meets Wren (Dynevor), a mysterious woman who challenges everything he believes about life, loss, and what's rational. Naturally, given who's behind the camera, there's a twist — and the trailer makes it clear this isn't your average beach-read romance.

The Trailer Does Exactly What You'd Expect (And That's the Point)

The teaser opens like a classic Sparks romance: Tate and Wren laughing over board games, a wistful Mitski needle drop humming underneath. Then Wren asks him, "Why can't we be together, Tate?" He answers, "I think you know." And then she vanishes from behind a curtain. That's the moment the movie tips its hand — this is a love story with something else going on underneath it.

The Cast and Crew Bring Serious Weight

Beyond Gyllenhaal and Dynevor, the cast includes Ashley Walters, Julie Hagerty, Jay O. Sanders, Tracy Ifeachor, Maria Dizzia, and Hannah James. Shyamalan himself even steps in front of the camera in a supporting role. James Newton Howard, Shyamalan's longtime composer, scores the film, and Blinding Edge Pictures produces.

When Can You See It?

Remain opens in theaters February 5, 2027 — positioning it as an early, slightly twisted Valentine's Day release. It's worth noting the film was originally dated for October 2026 before shifting to its current February slot, which tracks with a studio wanting this one positioned around the most romance-saturated week on the calendar.

Why This Pairing Works (Or At Least Why It's Fascinating)

Shyamalan and Sparks occupy opposite ends of the emotional spectrum — one built a career on dread and reveals, the other on heartbreak and healing. Putting them in the same sandbox is a genuine swing, and it's the kind of unlikely creative collision that gives this project real crossover appeal: horror fans curious about the twist, romance fans drawn in by Sparks' name, and awards-adjacent interest from Gyllenhaal and Dynevor both stretching outside their usual lanes.

Whether the tonal mash-up actually lands is the real question. But as a hook? Remain has one of the strongest of any 2027 release announced so far.