First look teaser for M. Night Shyamalan's new film 'Old'

It's only a "matter of time" before we get to see the plot twist in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest horror-thriller film, Old.

The chilling teaser for the latest film from The Sixth Sense and Signs director shows a family on a trip to an idyllic beach facing mysterious and rapid aging. The upcoming American psychological thriller film written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, is said to be inspired by the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters.

The first look 30-second TV spot premiered during the start of Super Bowl LV on Sunday (Feb. 7). The sports show was understandably light on film spots during this year's commercial breaks due to pandemic-related delays among major studios.

Old stars Gael García Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Vicky Krieps (Hanna, Phantom Thread) along with Eliza Scanlen (Little Women), Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace), Aaron Pierre, Alex Wolff, Abbey Lee, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ken Leung, Rufus Sewell, Embeth Davidtz and Emun Elliott.

The official synopsis by Universal Pictures reads: 

"This summer, visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan unveils a chilling, mysterious new thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly… reducing their entire lives into a single day."

While it's unclear how faithful Shyamalan’s adaptation is to the graphic novel, but true to the director’s horror-thriller roots, the film seems to involve a mysterious and supernatural twist.

Old is reportedly among a wave of new films shot under strict set guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As reported by Polygon, Shyamalan, along with his cast and crew had to take precautions of bubbling and on-set distancing turning the film set into a mini lockdown. The film, one of two motion pictures under development with Universal, began production in the Dominican Republic in October and concluded in November 2020. The location is said to be a first for the director, who traditionally shoots around his home in Philadelphia. 

Despite the restrictions, the director managed to keep his family close. Shyamalan’s 21-year-old daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan served as the second-unit director on the film, and later jumped into the director’s chair for the second season of M. Night’s Apple TV Plus series Servant.

Can audiences expect a return to classic Shyamalan horror in his latest offering? Check out the creepy trailer below:

The film is scheduled to be released in movie theaters on July 23, 2021.

(Images via Universal Pictues)