Claim: Split was directed by M. Night Shymalan.

Split is a 2016 American psychological horror-thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan . The film stars James McAvoy , Anya Taylor-Joy , and Betty Buckley , and follows Kevin Wendell Crumb , a man with 23 different personalities who kidnaps and imprisons three teenage girls in an isolated underground facility .   Principal photography began on November 11 , 2015 , in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . The film premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 26 , 2016 , and was released in the United States on January 20 , 2017 , by Universal Pictures . The film received general acclaim , with some critics labeling it a welcoming return for Shyamalan , and was a massive financial success , grossing $ 276 million worldwide on a budget of $ 9 million .   The film is a sequel to the 2000 movie Unbreakable which was also written , produced and directed by M. Night Shaymalan . A sequel has been confirmed which will be titled Glass .