M. Night Shyamalan isn’t just a box office wild card — he’s also a certified #GirlDad. His 2021 movie “Old” was a real family affair, with Saleka Shyamalan writing and performing the tie-in song, and Ishana Night Shyamalan serving as second unit director. The tables were turned for “The Watchers,” Ishana’s feature directorial debut, for which M. Night directed second unit shots. He also produced and provided financing for the movie (as he has done for his own movies since 2015’s “The Visit”), but it was picked up for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures for the substantial sum of $30 million (per The Wrap).

“The Watchers” stars Dakota Fanning as an artist who finds herself stranded in an Irish forest and finding shelter with a group of strangers, unable to return to civilization because of the mysterious creatures that hunt them at night. Reviews are mixed-to-poor, with a 30% score on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing (read /Film’s review here). According to the Hollywood Reporter, “The Watchers” is looking at an estimated $7 million opening weekend, which would give it a fourth-place debut behind “Boy Boys: Ride or Die,” “The Garfield Movie” and “IF.”

We’re getting two Shyamalan thrillers this summer, as M. Night’s “Trap” will help round out the season with its August 9 release. Given the twists and turns of the director’s track record, I’m not even going to attempt to guess whether that one will be a hit or a flop.