M. Night Shyamalan Launches an Earnest New YouTube Channel

In this era of carefully calibrated marketing and image-shaping, it’s kind of amazing that M. Night Shyamalan—a blockbuster genre director who could easily spend his downtime doing whatever he wants away from the public eye—has launched an eponymous YouTube channel. It’s so low-frills it feels like that could be the gimmick, except he comes across so earnest in both entries he’s posted so far. Obviously, the production values are top-notch; this is a Hollywood veteran, not a guy trying to land a studio deal with his low-budget creations. But the casual titles (“This is my first youtube video”) and tone are refreshing. “What I hope it is is an opportunity to reflect and get to know each other, deepen the relationship,” he says to the camera, addressing fans and maybe haters too, since he goes on to say he’s a little “scared” about this new venture, though he welcomes that feeling. “It’s like 30 years of making movies, and I want to undo it a little bit, you know, ignore whatever stigmas are in my head or in anybody’s head,” he explains. “I don’t know what I’m going to show you and what you’re going to show me, but the joy of it is stepping into the unknown.” The channel launched ove