M Night Shyamalan cried hard after critics panned his latest film 'Glass'

Director M Night Shyamalan has admitted that he cried hard after the critics panned his latest film "Glass". The film, featuring Bruce Willis, James McAvoy and Samuel L Jackson, was a sequel to Shyamalan's "Unbreakable" and "Split".

It was universally panned by critics upon its debut in theatres in January, but that did not dent its box office performance as it raked in more than USD 240 million worldwide. Speaking at NYU's Stern School of Business, the 48-year-old director said he was getting ready for a TV interview in London when the reviews dropped in and that made him "distraught", reported IndieWire.

"I was in London when I heard the US reviews for 'Glass' were poor. I was in a makeup chair for a TV show, and I cried," Shyamalan said. "... We'd just come back from the London screenings, which were through the roof. We had only great screenings of the movie around the world. So essentially I wasn't prepared. I had this false sense of being a part of the group in a safe way. But boy, did I feel distraught that day," he added.

Shyamalan, who made a name for himself by directing supernatural films such as "The Sixth Sense", "Signs" and "The Village", said despite the negative critics reactions, he felt contended that the audiences liked the movie. "Honestly, I was feeling like, 'Will they never let me be different without throwing me on the garbage pile?' The feeling of worthlessness rushed me, and to be honest, it doesn't ever really leave. But anyway, the film went on, right? It became number one in every country in the world, and it represents my beliefs," the director said.

He said in the hindsight, he believes he received far more success than his contemporaries and therefore, he should have a thicker skin. "I've had more success than anybody should be allowed to have. I mean, everything I've ever written has been offered to be made into a movie, and my nine films that are original ideas have averaged USD 270 million each. I just think I can't complain about anything. But I get tired," Shyamalan said.

The director is currently working on Apple series "Servant". He is also developing a feature film, titled "Labour of Love".

(With inputs from agencies.)