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])

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.