Summary

• M. Night Shyamalan was once close to directing two Harry Potter films, but he could not fit them into his schedule.
• His thriller, Trap, perfectly paves the way for him to direct an installment or two of HBO's Harry Potter series.

thrillers like The Sixth Sense and Signs, it is not surprising that he has been linked with several renowned movie franchises and has even dropped out of many potentially career-defining opportunities. For instance, Shyamalan was always interested in adapting Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi.

However, despite initially making plans to traverse the novel to the big screen, he later backed out to focus on Lady in the Water. Similarly, M. Night Shyamalan was all set to helm another renowned book in the 2000s, but circumstances and commitments pulled him away from the project. Now, after two decades, he might have the perfect chance to fulfill some of his early unrealized dreams as a director.

M. Night Shyamalan Was Considered For Directing The Third Harry Potter Movie

Shyamalan Missed The Opportunity To Direct Harry Potter Twice

After delivering critically and commercially successful films like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs in the late 90s and early aughts, M. Night Shyamalan was heralded as a visionary filmmaker whose eye for detail made him stand out among the rest. Owing to his growing fame, Shyamalan's name was first associated with the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. However, since it conflicted with his schedule for Unbreakable, the director could not commit to the project.

Even for the third Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, Warner Bros was eying a list of directors including M. Night Shyamalan. Unfortunately, this time around, he was busy working on The Village, preventing him from directing the film. Alfonso Cuarón ultimately helmed Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban and turned it into one of the most visually stunning and immersive installments of the Harry Potter movie series. However, despite Alfonso Cuarón's success with the film, it is hard not to wonder how Shyamalan's version would have turned out.

After Trap, Shyamalan Would Be Perfect For HBO's Take On Harry Potter

Trap Perfectly Paves The Way For Shyamalan To Direct HBO's Harry Potter

Although M. Night Shyamalan never truly got the time to direct Harry Potter films, he remained interested in working on them much later in his career and even wanted to direct one of the Deathly Hallows movies. "The themes that run through it ... the empowering of children, a positive outlook ... you name it, it falls in line with my beliefs," he said (via IGN), explaining how much he loved the J. K. Rowling series. Shyamalan's career as a director went through some major lows in the late aughts and early 2010s with movies like The Last Airbender, After Earth, and The Happening.

If Trap is successful, it can perfectly pave the way for M. Night Shyamalan to helm HBO's take on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The decline in the critical and commercial value of his films prevented him from landing big-budget projects. He even had to self-fund The Visit because studios were not interested in investing in his works. Fortunately, Shyamalan has gradually regained momentum in recent years and seems to be in form again. It may be too soon to judge how Trap will turn out, but it seems to have the potential to become one of Shyamalan's best films in recent years. If Trap is successful, it can perfectly pave the way for M. Night Shyamalan to helm HBO's take on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban's Story Is Perfectly Suited For Shyamalan's Direction Style

Harry Potter's Third Installment Has All The Right Ingredients For A Shyamalan Movie

On the surface, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban may seem nothing like Trap or other M. Night Shyamalan movies. However, a closer look at its storyline suggests that the director would be perfect for it. Like Trap, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban also revolves around a vicious serial killer, Sirius Black. Similar to most Shyamalan films, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban also has a compelling twist, revealing that Sirius Black was never the killer he was believed to be.

Trap is scheduled to release on 9 August 2024 in theaters.

Considering Shyamalan's mastery of delivering shocking twists and turns, it is hard not to see him as a great choice for directing at least one installment of HBO's Harry Potter series. Most details surrounding the 2026 HBO show are still under wraps. However, the fact that the series is still in development is good news because M. Night Shyamalan may still have the opportunity to hop on board as the showrunner for the series' take on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.