M. Night Shyamalan working on Split sequel; McAvoy opens up about ending

January 25th 2017, 9:40am

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

On Monday we wrote a story about director M. Night Shyamalan talking about that nerdgasm ending of SPLIT, and how it was always the intention to conclude the movie that way. The ending bursts with "SEQUEL! SEQUEL! SEQUEL!" and from the mouth of Shyamalan himself that's exactly what we're gonna get. He recently sat down with Empire and said he is currently working on the next (and probably final) installment, and how his outline is the biggest he's ever done:

I’m writing the outline now. It’s weird. It’s long. It’s the longest outline I’ve ever had. It has so many characters… I hope if Split is a success, I’ll have the opportunity to finish the story. I want to finish it, so this is the third one.

The weekend box office proved the movie is a hit, raking in $40 million its opening weekend. It will be impossible to talk about the movie now without referencing the ending, but said finale wasn’t as plain-as-day to everyone, and now star James McAvoy is talking about the movie, and how the mystery was kept even from him.

When I first read the script, it wasn’t there. There was some weird little allusion to the fact that it might be linked to Unbreakable, but it was so subtle I kinda discounted it. Then on the last day of rehearsals I was like, ‘mate, is this thing linked to that thing?’ It was honestly the most subtle thing you could ever have written. None but the greatest fanboy alive would ever have noticed it. So it went from being a tiny music cue to a whole fullblown scene with a major movie star in it.

For those who have seen the movie and were able to make sense of the ending you know that the movie now acts as a sort of sequel to Shyamalan’s 2000 movie, UNBREAKABLE. Shyamalan's third movie in the series will probably take place soon after the ending of SPLIT, which hinted McAvoy’s character, who has 24 unique personalities, will be going toe-to-toe with Bruce Willis’ David Dunn, a battle McAvoy is waiting to lose:

When two baldies go to war, my money’s on B-Dog. I hope he lets me call him that.

Of course you put your money on Willis! His head is stronger than most rhinos.

When I saw SPLIT I had no idea that ending was coming until I heard the James Newton Howard score begin and then when I saw Willis I turned into jelly in my seat. But ending aside, the greatest takeaway from the movie is McAvoy. The man is a revelation, and it’s a shame SPLIT came out so early this year because it would be awesome for him to get some awards attention. But enough gushing, it's time for fighting!

SPLIT is in theaters now.