April 25, 2022
If there's one thing that isn't a mystery about M. Night Shyamalan's work as a filmmaker, it's that he favors his movies be set and produced in the Philadelphia region where he grew up.
From "Unbreakable" and "The Sixth Sense" to the Apple TV series "Servant," just about all of Shyamalan's iconic moments as a director have featured scenes filmed here.
Shyamalan revealed last week that he is beginning to film his 15th feature, "A Knock at the Cabin," the details of which remain secretive other than a release date planned for early February 2023.
Casting agency Heery-Loftus, which serves the greater Philadelphia area and South Jersey, has put out a number of casting calls in recent days for extras in the new Shyamalan movie, noting the scene will be shot in the suburbs. The agency has cast extras for "Glass" and other Shyamalan projects over the years.
"Knock at the Cabin" will star Dave Bautista ("Guardians of the Galaxy"), Rupert Grint ("Servant"), Nikki Amuka-Bird ("Old"), Jonathan Groff ("The Matrix Resurrections," "Mindhunter") and Ben Alrdridge ("Pennyworth") in what is being broadly described as an apocalyptic horror film.
There has been some speculation that the film – written, directed and produced by Shyamalan – is loosely based on the Paul Tremblay novel "The Cabin at the End of the World," horror-movie site Bloody Disgusting reported. Tremblay's Bram Stoker Award-winning book revolves around a home invasion with ramifications that appear to impact the future of mankind.
After the first week of filming, Shyamalan posted again on Instagram to say that he was so stirred by one scene that he had to excuse himself from the set.
Shyamalan has been spotted in his court side seats at 76ers playoff games this month and figures to be busy in the Philadelphia area over the next year as he works on the fourth season of "Servant" and moves further along with this new movie.
Those interested in extra roles should keep an eye on the Heery-Loftus Casting Facebook page.
