Spoilers ahead for The Watchers.
Months after Ishana Night Shyamalan’s directorial debut,The Watchers, bored critics and audiences alike, the story will continue in the form of a book. The upcoming release,Stay in the Light,will be a sequel to the novel written by A.M. Shine. Hitting shelves on October 22,Stay in the Lightpromises to expand on the world of Mina and her fight against the Watchers.
Stay in the Lightpicks right up whereThe Watchersleft off, with Mina having escaped her captors. This sequel will delve deeper into her psychological battle for survival. The novel’s synopsis teases a suspenseful continuation, saying, “After her terrifying experience at the hands of the Watchers, Mina has escaped to a cottage on the west coast of Ireland. She obsessively researches her former captors, desperate to find any way to prolong the safety of humankind.” The synopsis continues:
“When Mina encounters a stranger near her home, she fears the worst – for she knows the figure is not what it seems. Soon, people she has encountered start to disappear. Mina knows the Watchers’ power is growing. She flees for her life, but when she reports her fears she finds her sanity questioned. Can she convince people that the Watchers are real, and ready to strike – or will she suffer the fate she has dreaded since she first encountered those malevolent beings?”
The Watchers
Differences Between the Film and the Original Novel
The film, produced by M. Night Shyamalan, is an adaption of A.M. Shine’s 2021 novel of the same name. Starring Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, and Oliver Finnegan, the story centers around Mina, a 28-year-old artist who becomes trapped in a forest. Mina is hunted by mysterious creatures that stalk her and a group of three other survivors each night. The film disappointed on release, grossing $33 million worldwide on a $30 million production budget, with a 32% critics score and 52% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The 2024 film adaption ofThe Watchersdoes have significant differences from the original novel thatStay in the Lightis a sequel to, particularly the depiction of the Watchers. In the book, their appearance is left largely up to the reader’s imagination, described only in vague, unsettling terms that hint at their inhuman nature. No real specifics are given.
However,in the film, they appear as monsterswith long fingers and sharp nails.There is also a twist in the ending of the film that is different from the book. Mina discovers that she has been talking to Madeline the whole time, who has been mimicking Ciara’s appearance. In the book, there is a more straightforward confrontation where Mina is able to talk to Ciara and persuade Madeline without resorting to violence.
The Watchers' Twist is Similar to This Shyamalan Movie
The Watchers has hit cinemas, but have we seen the ending before in an earlier Shyamalan project?
The sequel will embrace classic horror elements that made the original story so compelling.It is described as"A chilling modern twist on the Gothic horror novel, perfect for fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, T. Kingfisher and classic horror." If you were one of the handful of people who lovedThe Watchersenough to read a sequel book, you can look forward to a deeper exploration of Mina’s character and the dark forces she faces. Pre-order your copy today to enjoy it during the Halloween season.
