>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK.
(APPLAUSE) GIVE IT UP FOR THE BAND, LOUIS
CATO AND THE LATE SHOW BAND! HAVE A SEAT, EVERYBODY.
LOUIS, TONIGHT WE GOT JUST A FANTASTIC MUSICIAN, ARTIST,
ACTRESS, JANELLE MONAE IS ON THIS EVENING.
(APPLAUSE) TAR OF THE GLASS ONION.
HAVE YOU SEEN IT. >> I HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET.
>> Stephen: SHE IS FANTASTIC IN THAT.
AND JAMIE OLIVER WILL BE OUT HERE LATER.
WE'RE GOING TO COOK A STEAK. WE'RE GOING TO COOK A STEAK.
FOR EXAMPLES, >> Stephen: I LOVE MOVIES.
WITHOUT THEM, IT'D FEEL WEIRD TO THEATER SEATS WITH SCREEN SIT
DOWN IN A DARK ROOM AND EAT POPCORN FOR TWO HOURS.
AND ONE FILMMAKER THAT'S ALWAYS INTRIGUED ME IS M.NIGHT
SHYAMALAN. HE HAS A KNACK FOR REINVENTING
CINEMATIC GENRES. "THE SIXTH SENSE" WAS A MODERN
GHOST STORY. "UNBREAKABLE" WAS AN ORIGINAL
SPIN ON A SUPERHERO MOVIE. AND "OLD" WAS A FRESH TAKE ON
THE CLASSIC MOVIE TROPE OF A MAGIC BEACH THAT TURNS YOU OLD.
AND IT GOT ME THINKING: AWHILE BACK, WE HAD ZACK SNYDER, THE
DIRECTOR OF "JUSTICE LEAGUE," "300," AND "ARMY OF THE DEAD,"
STOP BY TO MAKE A GRITTY, ACTION-PACKED EPISODE OF THE
LATE SHOW. SO WHAT IF M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN
COULD BRING HIS SINGULAR VISION TO THE LATE SHOW BY GUEST
DIRECTING AN EPISODE? WELL I ASKED: AND THE MASTER OF
MYSTERY SAID, "YES". ... OR DID HE?
HE DID. AND SO TONIGHT, I'M EXCITED TO
PRESENT TO YOU AN EXCLUSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES SNEAK PEAK AT
M. NIGHT SHYMALAN'S "THE LATE SHOW."
>> I WAS VERY EXCITED BY THE CHALLENGE OF DIRECTING "THE LATE
SHOW." BECAUSE, LET'S FACE IT, THAT
SHOW'S NOT VERY SCARY. >> Stephen: WE WERE "SO" EXCITED
TO HAVE M. NIGHT ON BOARD. HIS NAME IS SYNONYMOUS WITH
CINEMA. LITERALLY, DID YOU KNOW THE "M"
IN "M. NIGHT" STANDS FOR MOVIE? >> IT'S ACTUALLY "MANOJ," BUT HE
WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT A DIRECTOR BEING NAMED "MOVIE," I DIDN'T
HAVE THE HEART TO TELL HIM. >> Stephen: MOVIE NIGHT AND I
AGREED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TOTAL CONTROL.
>> I WANTED TO INFUSE EVERYTHING WITH MY SPECIAL BRAND OF
SHYAMALAN EERINESS. IT'S WHAT FILM HISTORIANS CALL
"SHYAMALANIFICATION." SERIOUSLY, LOOK IT UP IN A
DICTIONARY. >> Stephen: I DID LOOK IT UP.
IT'S NOT IN THERE. THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
PLEASE HAVE A SEAT. WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW."
I'M YOUR HOST, STEPHEN COLBERT. >> NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
>> Stephen: NO BUT THAT'S WHAT I SAY AT THE START OF EVERY SHOW.
>> NO, THE LINE WAS FINE, BUT DON'T JUST COME RIGHT OUT AND
SAY IT. DON'T TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE.
YOU'RE BLOWING THE REVEAL. >> Stephen: OH, OKAY.
>> TRY IT AGAIN AND ADD A LITTLE SUSPENSE.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT. WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW."
I'M STEEEE-PHEN COOOOL-BERT. >> CUT.
THAT'S A WRAP. EXCELLENT.
>> MY APPLE TV+ SHOW "SERVANT" IS A TENSE PSYCHOLOGICAL
THRILLER. >> AND TO BRING THAT SAME SENSE
OF FEAR TO THE LATE SHOW, I NEEDED TO FIND OUT WHAT MY
PROTAGONIST, STEPHEN COLBERT, IS SCARED OF.
>> Stephen: CLOWNS... SPIDERS. SAYING THEWRONG NAME TO A
PERSON I'VE MET SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO: ENCLOSED SPACES, OPEN
SPACES, LOSING MY GLASSES, TALL GUYS WITH TINY HEADS, SHORT
WOMEN WITH LARGE MOUTHS... >> WE HAD A LOT TO WORK WITH.
>> Stephen: ...BOWLING SHOES, BOWLING BALLS, THE PINS I'M OKAY
WITH. REGULAR, NOT DUCK PIN.
>> MAYBE TOO MUCH. >> Stephen: OH!
AND YOU KNOW THOSE OLD-TIMEY TABLES THAT HAVE LIKE CARVED
ANIMAL LEGS ON THE BOTTOM? WHEN IM NOT AROUND, DO THEY
MOVE? >> IN STORYTELLING, IT'S ALL
ABOUT THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE. IN MY FILM "SIGNS," YOU DON'T
SEE THE ALIENS UNTIL TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE MOVIE.
THEN 'THIS' HAPPENS-- >> IT'S BEHIND!
>> SPOOKY! SIDE NOTE: IT WAS SUCH AN HONOR
TO WORK WITH DANIEL DAY LEWIS. THERE TRULY ARE NO SMALL PARTS.
ANYWAY, I WANTED "THE LATE SHOW" TO HAVE THAT SENSE OF SURPRISE.
SO I ADDED A LITTLE SOMETHING WITHOUT TELLING STEPHEN.
>> Stephen: MEANWHILE FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TACO BELL, THEY'VE
ANNOUNCED A BRAND-NEW INGREDIENT THAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEFORE
INCLUDED IN-- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?
OH MY GOD. NO!
DIE YOU ALIEN SPACE SCUM, YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY PLANET!
GO GET YOUR (/
(/
DIRECTOR. I WAS COMPLETELY SURPRISED.
>> YEAH, I WAS ALSO SURPRISED. SURPRISED HE THOUGHT I WAS A
REAL ALIEN. SURPRISED NO ONE STOPPED HIM
FROM BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF ME.
VERY SURPRISED. >> MY FANS KNOW THAT I'LL OFTEN
MAKE A CAMEO OR PLAY A SMALL ROLE IN EACH OF MY FILMS.
IT'S REALLY JUST A LITTLE EASTER EGG FOR FANS.
VERY SUBTLE. >> Stephen: DOGS ARE SO STUPID.
WHAT A POINTLESS GAME. TALK TO ME WHEN THEY CAN TAP ON
THREE SIMILAR CANDIES. >> BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS IT.
>> Stephen: THEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE END OF THE EPISODE.
AND WE ALL KNOW "BIG M" IS KNOWN FOR HIS SURPRISE TWIST ENDINGS.
NIGHT,NIGHT, I HAVE THE ENDING. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
SHH, SHHH. WHAT IF... WHAT IF... WHAT IF IN
THE END WE REVEAL THAT I'M LUKE'S FATHER?
>> THAT'S "STAR WARS." >> Stephen: THEN HOW ABOUT I WAS
TYLER DURDEN ALL ALONG? >> "FIGHT CLUB."
>> Stephen: WHAT IF I ACCEPT MY TITLE AS PRINCESS OF GENOVIA.
>> THAT'S "PRINCESS DIARIES" AND IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A TWIST.
>> Stephen: RIGHT, OKAY, HOW ABOUT I'M THE CARETAKER OF A
SNOWED IN HAUNTED HOTEL. >> IN THE END I CAME UP WITH THE
GREATEST M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN TWIST ENDING OF ALL TIME.
>> Stephen: THAT'S IT FOR "THE LATE SHOW."
STICK AROUND FOR JAMES CORDEN. GOOD NIGHT!
THAT'S IT FOR "THE LATE SHOW." STICK AROUND FOR JAMES CORDEN...
>> TIME FOR YOUR PILLS, MR. COLBERT.
>> Stephen: I HOST "THE LATE SHOW."
>> THIS WHOLE THING HAS BEEN A HALLUCINATION IN THE MIND OF A
DERANGED NARCISSIST. >> Stephen: "LATE SHOW."
>> SOMETIMES KNOWN AS CRAZY MOTHER (/
THANK YOU TO SAMUEL L. JACKSON AND M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN!
THE FINAL SEASON OF "SERVANT" PREMIERS FRIDAY ON APPLE TV+ AND
HIS NEW MOVIE "KNOCK AT THE CABIN" IS IN THEATERS FEBRUARY
3rd. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH STAR OF
"GLASS ONION," JANELLE MONAÁE.