Noble Blood BONUS: “Remain: A Supernatural Love Story” (with Kal Penn)
Podcast: Noble Blood (iHeartPodcasts & Grim & Mild)
Episode Date: December 6, 2025
Guest: Dana Schwartz (Host of Noble Blood)
Host: Kal Penn
Episode Overview
In this special bonus episode, Noble Blood host Dana Schwartz joins Kal Penn to dissect the new Audible Original, “Remain: A Supernatural Love Story.” This metaphysical romance thriller, penned by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan, inspires a deep dive into love, loss, the supernatural, and adaptation, all from the perspective of two self-confessed book nerds and film lovers.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Context and Concept: Unlikely Collaboration
[04:45]
- “Remain” is a metaphysical romance thriller co-authored by Nicholas Sparks (noted for romance like The Notebook) and M. Night Shyamalan (known for supernatural film twists).
- The story centers on architect Tate Donovan, who, after personal loss, rents a spooky house, meets the ghostly Ren, and gets entangled in a romance with her dual nature—a benign “daytime Ren” and a terrifying “night Ren.”
Dana’s Take on the Collaboration:
- “I loved that these two men collaborated. It made me so happy.” – Dana ([07:13])
- Listeners might underestimate both authors, but Dana points out the emotional depth present in Shyamalan’s work and the less-explored ‘twistiness’ of Sparks’ stories.
2. Genre Blending – Romance Meets Supernatural Thriller
[08:00] - [08:34]
- Dana admits a preference for the spine-tingling, detective elements of the plot:
- “I go spooky. I like the ghost stuff. I like the problem solving... grease up my Hercule Perot mustache. Let's have some fun.” – Dana
3. Character Depth & Grief
[13:24] – [15:07]
- Kal Penn praises character work in Shyamalan’s writing, highlighting how emotional growth intersects with the paranormal.
- “Everybody gives him the rightful credit for the spooky stuff and the twists. But when you're prepping a scene as an actor, it's all about character arc and grounding it somewhere. And all of that is there...” – Kal ([08:34])
- Dana’s observation:
- Tate’s compulsion to help Ren is both self-serving and emotionally complex, and the ghostly beauty isn’t lost on her:
- “I also think he was fully helping her because she was pretty... hot girl doing yoga in, like, tight white yoga pants. And he’s like... I just have to help her.” – Dana ([14:13])
- Tate’s compulsion to help Ren is both self-serving and emotionally complex, and the ghostly beauty isn’t lost on her:
4. Adaptation Insights & Casting News
[11:15] – [13:21]
- Discussion on the nature of adaptations; Dana appreciates when a film stands on its own and reflects the director’s vision.
- Casting news:
- Tate: Jake Gyllenhaal
- Ren: Phoebe Dynevor (“from Bridgerton”)
- Nash: M. Night Shyamalan
- “Yep. He’s doing it.” – Dana ([13:17])
5. Suspense and Scares: Favorite Spooky Scene
[17:32] – [19:05]
- The most chilling moment in the audiobook for Dana is the first “Bathroom scene” with Night Ren:
- “There’s such violence to that scene… up until this point... we’ve been having, like, a great time... then we just get this pretty sudden scene of violence.” – Dana ([17:39])
- The setting (a bathroom) added visceral vulnerability:
- “A bathroom is a very, like, vulnerable place... So there is something, to me, very visceral about an act of violence there…” – Dana ([18:39])
6. Quickfire ‘Plot Twist’ Questions
[20:23] – [29:42]
-
Meeting by fate: Dana met her husband when he invited her onto his podcast; their first conversation was recorded and fans thought she was “mean,” but chemistry prevailed.
- “My flirting style was just being mean to him.” – Dana ([22:11])
-
Guidance received: Dana recalls Kal Penn once gave an inspiring speech at the Presidential Scholars event in 2011, which stayed with her.
- “All of my success, everything I’ve done up until this point is probably thanks to that speech.” – Dana (jokingly, [23:40])
-
Domestic strengths & weaknesses:
- Dana is a skilled baker (“I’m in charge of the pies for Thanksgiving”), but dislikes deep cleaning.
- Kal struggles with laundry (“things will shrink… because I end up forgetting and putting it in the dryer”) but enjoys cooking, especially Mexican food ([27:13] – [28:05]).
-
Murder mystery character to avoid:
- Dana: Griffin, the manipulative ex-husband.
- Kal: Dax, the stalker counselor—“especially in like, a horror world, that person shows up everywhere… favorite daytime jump scares.”
- “M. Night Shyamalan… one of the best daytime jump scares of all time.” – Dana ([29:12])
7. Book & Podcast Recommendations
[29:42] – [32:03]
- Dana is reading “Mary Toft or the Rabbit Queen” by Dexter Palmer and recommends “Slade House” by David Mitchell for those who want more haunted house horror.
- Kal is reading “Oceanside Blues” by Dhruv Bhatt and plans to start “The Loneliness of Sonja and Sunny” by Kiran Desai.
8. Dana’s Upcoming Projects
[32:03] – [32:59]
- Podcasts: Noble Blood (royal history), Hoax! (historical hoaxes with Lizzie Logan)
- Upcoming book: “The Arcane Arts” (under the pseudonym SD Coverley), a sexy magic thriller murder mystery.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On unexpected collaborations:
- “People only know M. Night Shyamalan as the sort of horror twist guy, and they don’t really pay attention to... his books also have very earnest emotional depth.” – Dana ([07:19])
- On adaptation:
- “The book already exists.” – Dana ([11:15])
- On ghost romance tropes:
- “It’s such a trope… but it’s so good. Where you meet a character and then someone else says, like, ‘what? They’ve been dead for 10 years?’ Always so chilling.” – Ed Helms ([04:40])
- On writing character detail:
- “In a book or audiobook, you get those little nuggets… just make you feel connected.” – Kal ([17:02])
- Domestic reality check:
- “I don’t want to be rude because you are a professional actor, but your Julia Child is veering a little Kermit.” – Dana ([25:43])
- Podcast/book cross pollination:
- “I host a book club, an in-person book club... more people are coming for the baked goods than the books.” – Dana ([26:54])
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Introduction & Context: [00:02] – [04:45]
- Book Summary & Setup: [04:45] – [07:13]
- Collaboration and Genre Mix: [07:13] – [08:34]
- Character Discussion & Adaptation: [08:34] – [13:21]
- Relationship & Grief: [13:21] – [15:07]
- Favorite Scary Scene: [17:32] – [19:05]
- Quickfire Questions (‘Plot Twist’): [20:23] – [29:42]
- Book Recommendations: [29:42] – [31:32]
- Dana’s Projects: [32:03] – [32:59]
Recommendations & Final Thoughts
- Book recommendation for fans of “Remain”: “Slade House” by David Mitchell ([30:28])
- Upcoming reads/podcasts: “The Arcane Arts” by SD Coverley, Noble Blood, and Hoax!
Dana’s closing thought:
- “If any listeners of this liked Night Ren and wanted more like creepy, manipulative, haunted house horror—Slade House. Great. Really short, really fun.” ([30:28])
Conclusion
This episode delivers an energetic, insightful conversation about genre, adaptation, and the enduring appeal of supernatural romance. Dana Schwartz’s wit and depth as a guest, plus her recommendations and insider perspective on adaptation and podcasting, make the episode a must-listen for fans of haunting stories, book-to-film transitions, and the craft of storytelling.
