Dakota Fanning starring in The Watchers

Dakota Fanning is to lead the cast of 'The Watchers'.

The 29-year-old actress is to star in the film that marks the feature directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of 'The Sixth Sense' filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan.

Dakota will play Mina, a 28-year-old artist who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When she finds shelter, Mina unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures every night.

Ishana wrote the movie that was acquired by New Line after a competitive bidding war for the picture – which is slated for release in June 2024.

M. Night Shyamalan and Ashwin Rajan are to produce through Blinding Edge Pictures, with the flick expected to go into production this summer. Nimitt Mankad will also produce for Inimitable Pictures and Jo Homewood is to executive produce.

Ishana served as a writer and director on the acclaimed Apple TV+ series 'Servant' which has her father as showrunner. She also worked with her dad on the films 'Old' and 'Knock at the Cabin'.

Night previously explained how he couldn't wait to see his daughter get to work behind the camera.

The 52-year-old director said: "It's been beautiful, you know? I've been around long enough now. I started when I was 21, and it's so wild. My daughter is going to start her career, at 23, in filmmaking.

"I'm like, 'Wow, what a journey you're about to go on!' And of course, her journey is tied to mine in some ways. It's a different one."