Author Nicholas Sparks, who wrote the novel from which the 2004 romantic drama was adapted, said on Thursday's Good Morning America that writer and director M. Night Shyamalan, known for his eerie, supernatural plots that aren't always what they seem, was once in the running to bring it to the big screen. "Years ago, back in the '90s, when they were doing the script for The Notebook," Sparks said, "one of the writers they approached to adapt The Notebook for screen: M. Night Shyamalan. Sparks mentioned that he'd been a fan of the writer-director's work, and had even paid tribute to him. Nicholas Sparks; M. Night Shyamalan. The book Remain, by both Sparks and Shyamalan, is out Oct.14, while the film is scheduled for 2026.