Shyamalan Returns!

By Jon Condit
March 7th, 2007

After the mess that was Lady in the Water it’s difficult for me to get excited about a new M. Night movie. Especially one that focuses on a family dealing with an environmental threat...

Variety says that M. Night Shyamalan will now direct the film, originally called The Green Effect but now simply The Happening, for 20th Century Fox, who gave the writer/director the most productive notes his first time around, and were most excited for the project. Though the title is a bit spooky the subject matter seems anything but, but M. Night told the trade that he’s focusing on scares primarily this time and that it will be his first R-rated film.

Does that mean lots of breasts and blood? Somehow I doubt it, but then I have always said I’d love to see Shyamalan pick up the pacing of his movies just to see if he can do it. I have to admit, though, that I am intrigued, especially when he told Variety, "We talked about trying to get the kind of intensity that is present in Silence of the Lambs, and the kind that Guillermo del Toro got in Pan's Labyrinth. The impact of the beautiful things in that movie wouldn't have landed as strongly if the film had not been R rated."

Very realistic and intelligent approach. Not that I’ve ever seen Shyamalan as a drooling idiot or anything, but it's good to hear him thinking bigger. We’ll have more as the details, which I’m sure will be closely guarded, begin to be revealed.

- Johnny Butane