James McAvoy may be replacing Joaquin Phoenix for secret Shyamalan flick

October 2nd 2015, 2:40pm

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

So much for Joaquin Phoenix and M. Night Shyamalan getting together once again to do another picture. Apparently those conversations were nothing more than that, and no deal was ever struck in order to make it a reality.

However, James McAvoy is a pretty nice consolation prize, if you have to settle for your second choice. That looks to be the story, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with McAvoy in talks to star in Shyamalan's next film – an untitled movie whose details are being kept under tight wraps in typical M. Night fashion.

This would be McAvoy's first time working with Shyamalan, but I'd imagine he understands the hit-or-miss nature of the director's films. Jason Blum is returning to produce this endeavor, marking his second time throwing his weight behind Shyamalan, having just released THE VISIT together for Universal.

It's always easy to hate on a Shyamalan movie before anyone has ever seen it. The guy has a spotty track record where the lows are pretty low and often overwhelm the memories of the good ones. But he is still a capable storyteller, when you push aside some of those overblown baggage, so, as long as he can get back to those basics, how can you not be open-minded about what he might have on tap for us?