NPR’s Book of the Day: Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan on Remain

Overview

In this episode, NPR’s Book of the Day explores the unusual and intriguing creative partnership between beloved romance novelist Nicholas Sparks and famed supernatural filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. Together, they discuss their new collaboration: Remain, a supernatural romance novel penned by Sparks (now available), and a companion film directed by Shyamalan (due out October next year). Host Leila Fadel dives into how these two masters of their genres found unexpected common ground, how the project unfolded, and what makes this unique creative process special.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

How Did This Collaboration Begin? ([02:51]–[03:23])

• Hollywood serendipity: Sparks describes how their partnership came about:

  “It’s kind of born one of those Hollywood stories. My agent in Los Angeles knew someone at Blinding Edge Pictures and they get together and… there was a suggestion Knight and I meet, maybe collaborate on something.”
  — Nicholas Sparks [03:01]

• Low odds, big result:

  “99% of [these meetings] don’t pan out for one reason or another. This one did.”
  — Nicholas Sparks [03:18]

An Unlikely Yet Natural Pairing ([03:23]–[04:46])

• Not so different after all:
  Shyamalan insists their genres are more aligned than they seem:

  “All my movies are family dramas with the clothing of a ride. So where I'm coming from is very similar to where he’s coming from.”
  — M. Night Shyamalan [03:38]

• Shared storytelling DNA:
  Sparks remarks:

  “When I think of Knight’s work, sure, you remember the twists… but what I remember are really well developed characters. ...We both like to keep pages turning or keep viewers in the seats.”
  — Nicholas Sparks [04:04]

• An unexpected commonality:

  “We both love killing protagonists.”
  — M. Night Shyamalan [04:33]

• Two visions, one story:
  Shyamalan describes their unique process:

  “We came up with a story, and then he wrote a different story than I wrote.”
  — M. Night Shyamalan [04:46]
  Sparks puts it poetically:
  “If the idea was a coin, he stamped one side, I stamped the other.”
  — Nicholas Sparks [04:54]

About Remain ([04:58]–[06:42])

• Book synopsis:
  Leila Fadel summarizes:
  Tate Doniphan, a successful architect recovering from the loss of his sister and battling depression, heads to Cape Cod to design his friend’s summer home. There, he meets a young woman who changes his worldview. Supernatural mystery and romance are central.
• Sparks wanted something new:

  “My challenge was … to not do the same thing I just did with the Notebook. How do I do what I do but make it new and interesting for the readers?”
  — Nicholas Sparks [06:27]

• Blending genres:
  Sparks shares his origins:

  “My first novel was horror… the second was a murder mystery… Then, I wrote the Notebook… There’s a little bit of practicality here — if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… So, my challenge was then to not do the same thing I just did with the Notebook.”
  — Nicholas Sparks [05:32]

Shyamalan’s Path to the Supernatural ([06:42]–[07:46])

• Genre expectations:
  Shyamalan reflects on being typecast:

  “The first movie I did was a drama. …Then I wrote Stuart Little, and then I wrote a romance, which… led them to say, why don’t you write Notebook? And then I wrote Sixth Sense. ...But I was like, well, the same year I wrote Stuart Little. Why am I not that guy? I think it’s looked down on, genre—and so I now really love it.”
  — M. Night Shyamalan [06:51]

• The supernatural’s place:

  “It’s just the way it goes. …It’s been a beautiful thing for me now that I’m 30 years in.”
  — M. Night Shyamalan [07:32]

The Fusion of Book and Film — A Creative Experiment ([07:46]–[08:35])

• A rare creative arrangement:

  “I can’t imagine this ever happening again.”
  — M. Night Shyamalan [07:59]

• Why it worked:
  Trust and timing were key:

  “I’ve struggled with various directors… my vision was different and they’re just not getting it. …There wasn’t any of that because I trusted him on the film and he trusted me on the novel for this same story.”
  — Nicholas Sparks [08:11] “Maybe if we met at different times in our lives to try to do this, it might have been different.”
  — M. Night Shyamalan [08:28]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If the idea was a coin, he stamped one side, I stamped the other.”
  — Nicholas Sparks [04:54]

• “All my movies are family dramas with the clothing of a ride.”
  — M. Night Shyamalan [03:38]

• “We both love killing protagonists.”
  — M. Night Shyamalan [04:33]
  (both laugh)

• “There wasn’t any of that because I trusted [Knight] on the film and he trusted me on the novel for this same story.”
  — Nicholas Sparks [08:11]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Partnership Origins: [03:01]
• Similarities & Differences: [03:38] – [04:46]
• Process of Creating Book & Movie in Parallel: [04:46] – [04:58]
• Summary and Themes of Remain: [04:58] – [06:27]
• Genre Blending & Personal Histories: [06:42] – [07:32]
• Reflections on Creative Trust: [08:11] – [08:35]

Takeaways

This episode unveils the creative synergy between Sparks and Shyamalan, showing how two celebrated artists, each with distinct storytelling strengths, found profound overlap in their focus on character depth, emotional stakes, and genre innovation. Remain’s dual existence—as both novel and forthcoming film—offers a unique experiment in storytelling, uniting romance and the supernatural while staying true to both creators’ core values.

Fans can enjoy Remain as a novel now, and anticipate Shyamalan’s film adaptation due next October.