The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t really slowM.
Shyamalan didn’t stop at finishingServantseason 2, though.
They also had their own testing lab, and never had a single positive case throughout the production.
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But COVID-19 was one thing, and storms were another.
Shyamalan wanted this specific cast forOld, but their limited availability meant they had to film during hurricane season.
“Of course there was a hurricane.
It took the sets and just destroyed them,” Shyamalan said.
“The biggest concern was that the beach had been eroded away.
There was no beach for our beach movie.
I was like ‘well…’ I didn’t know what to do.
Making movies is an act of faith, and that’s what makes it magic.
There’s so many things that can go wrong.”
“But this was extreme,” Wolff pointed out.
It wasn’t a worst-case scenario.
When it worked out in the end, Shyamalan and his collaborators couldn’t help but feel grateful.
“We were on that beach, and honestly we wereallowedto be on that beach.
Mother Nature allowed us to be on that beach,” Shyamalan said.
“We had 40 days where we needed good weather, and we got 40 days of good weather.
We couldn’t afford one rain-out.
The local crews told me about a ritual to thank Mother Nature, to thank the beach.
So we all had flowers, it was 3 am when we finished shooting the last shot.
“Sometimes he’s at a train station.
My kids are now directing and singing concerts.
When did this happen?
So I made a movie about that feeling, about wow we blink and everything changes.
The person who changed your diapers, you’re now changing their diapers.
I think that’s relatable to everybody.”
“Especially right now,” Wolff added.
“Coming out of COVID it feels like time just stopped.
And that’s what the movie’s literally about.
When I tell people about it they’re like, oh is it about COVID?
I say no it’s just coincidence, it was kismet.”
Oldhits theaters on July 23.
