Whereas it might appear type of random to some that M. Night time Shyamalan would workforce up with beloved romance writer Nicholas Sparks for a film, their collaboration for Stay, a book-to-screen adaptation set to launch on the 2026 film schedule, makes numerous sense to me.
Whereas M. Night time Shyamalan made a reputation for himself with horror motion pictures and thrillers, the filmmaker has explored different feelings past concern and suspense in his motion pictures, and that very a lot contains love. Although romance has performed a job in a few of his greatest movies, none of these motion pictures could be described as romances initially, so I am wanting ahead to what these two have in retailer. Let’s get into what we learn about each the upcoming guide, which is due out in 2025, and the film, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor, and is about to launch subsequent 12 months.
Stay Film Launch Date
Okay, let’s speak concerning the dates first. Whereas the guide comes out this 12 months, the film adaptation will not hit theaters till October 23, 2026, per Deadline. That is on the tail finish of spooky season subsequent 12 months, so it will have some competitors with the brand new horror motion pictures in theaters, together with Jordan Peele’s subsequent movie, which shares Stay‘s particular launch date. Whereas that is perhaps a difficulty for the 2 anticipated motion pictures, the genres do not completely overlap, as Jordan Peele’s yet-to-be-titled film is anticipated to be a horror, whereas Stay is described as a supernatural romantic thriller.
Stay E book Launch Date
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Written by Nicholas Sparks, with M. Night time Shyamalan, Stay: A Supernatural Love Story, is about to be revealed on October 14, 2025. Penguin Random Home has the guide listed as Paranormal Fiction, paranormal & Fantasy Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Girls’s Fiction.
The guide is on the market for preorder at bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and you might discover it on cabinets this October at your native bookstore. As you possibly can see from the photographs above, the hardcover version contains fairly endpapers and covers that function stamped replicas of the authors’ signatures.
What Is Stay About?
On to the plot of Stay. As talked about, it is a supernatural love story. The romance facet is not any shock should you’re accustomed to Nicholas Sparks’ writing. His novels, a lot of which have been tailored for the display screen, embody The Pocket book, A Stroll to Bear in mind, Protected Haven, Expensive John and The Selection. After all, with Shyamalan concerned, it virtually goes with out saying that there is extra occurring with the story, because the Sixth Sense director is undoubtedly recognized for incorporating sci-fi and supernatural parts into his tales.
From what’s talked about within the official description for the guide, the story will observe Tate Donovan, an architect grieving the lack of his sister, who — earlier than she died — revealed to him that she was capable of see spirits. Tate finally ends up going to Cape Cod to design a summer time dwelling for his good friend, and he meets a younger lady named Wren, with whom he kinds a connection. It feels like that is the place the love story is available in, although there’s some urgency to the state of affairs, as Tate begins to get to know Wren and finds himself attempting to determine the reality about her previous amidst festering “hatred, jealousy and greed” in her small-town life. As the outline closes out:
A narrative concerning the energy of transcendent emotion, Stay asks us all: Can love set us free not solely from our biggest sorrows, however even from the boundaries of life and demise?
So… yeah, it feels like there are greater issues occurring right here past a dramatic love story. However we’ll have to attend and see the way it that each one performs out.
As Deadline places it of their casting report (extra on that in a bit), each the film and guide are based mostly on the identical idea, and can have the identical characters, “however tailor-made to their respective mediums.”
What’s tough for me, as a fan of books and M. Night time Shyamalan motion pictures, is that I do know I will need to learn the guide when it comes out, however I notice that in doing so, I am fairly doubtless spoiling the film. That is all the time going to be the case for these of us who prefer to learn the guide first, however on this case, I am spoiling the subsequent M. Night time Shyamalan film for myself so… I’ve a call to make.
The Stay Forged
In January of this 12 months, Deadline reported that Jake Gyllenhaal could be starring in M. Night time Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks’ new film, although no title was talked about at the moment. In March, Deadline reported that Phoebe Dynevor had joined the forged. Lastly, in July, Deadline reported extra forged members, together with Julie Hagerty and Tracy Ifeachor. This is the forged checklist as we all know to this point:
- Jake Gyllenhaal
- Phoebe Dynevor
- Ashley Walters
- Julie Hagerty
- Jay O. Sanders
- Tracy Ifeachor
- Hannah James
- Caleb Ruminer
- Kieran Mulcare
- Maria Dizzia
An M. Night time Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks Collaboration
As talked about, the guide and movie are each collaborations between filmmaker M. Night time Shyamalan and writer Nicholas Sparks. When Sparks posted concerning the tasks on Instagram in July, he talked about how he’d hoped to work with M. Night time Shyamalan sometime, and famous that it turned out, Shyamalan had been eager to make a love story for some time:
As soon as we got here up with a joint thought, I hunkered down to jot down the novel and Night time turned to creating the film. We are able to’t wait to share each variations of this haunting love story with you quickly!
Manufacturing on Stay
On July 18, 2025, M. Night time Shyamalan introduced the beginning of manufacturing on the movie with the Instagram submit above, displaying him standing behind a clapboard for the film, with a seaside view behind him. And one month later to the day, on August 19, star Jake Gyllenhaal posted on his personal Instagram that manufacturing for the movie had wrapped. In his submit, he thanked the forged and crew for what he described as “one of the joyful and provoking experiences.”
So the film is within the can, and now it is presumably only a matter of post-production. Assuming it holds its October 2026 launch date, there’s greater than a 12 months to attend earlier than the movie hits the large display screen.
After all, those that do not need to wait that lengthy to dive into the story have solely to attend till October of this 12 months for the guide’s launch.