Shyamalan prepares audiences for The Happening

It’s been close to a decade since writer/director M. Night Shyamalan stunned audiences with The Sixth Sense.

Sense was a criticial, finanical and creative success for the director, garnering him a reputation as one of the big, up and coming names in Hollywood. But after Sense, audiences and critics have cooled a bit on the mania surrounding Shyamalan’s films. A few years ago, an opening for one of Shyamalan’s movies was seen as a “event” film and virtual guarantee of opening weekend box-office success. Now, the director has created a new summer movie, The Happening that many in Hollywood see as the once red-hot director’s chance at redemption both creative and financially.

The Happening, opening in theaters this Friday, is the director’s first R-rated horror/suspense film. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel, the film finds a group of survivors going on the run when a world-wide plague erupts. The film is being billed as a more adult work for Shyamalan, who until now was better known for toning down the gore in his films and going more ratcheting up the tension.

“I wanted to tackle taboos,” said Shyamalan in USA Today. “In the first version, we threw everything and the kitchen sink in. It would have gotten an X rating. Or been banned in the United States. I told the crew and the cast that we’re making a B-movie, but we’re making the best B-movie that anyone’s ever made.”

The director makes no bones or apologies about shooting for an R-rating for the film. According to reports, The Happening is steeped in violence, including mass suicides and the murder of children.

However, one thing the movie doesn’t have is a trademark Shyamalan “twist.”

The director was quick to defend his use of a shocking ending in his films. He said that he feels he has an unfair reputation for creating twist endings among critics and the movie-going public.

“It’s inane,” he said. “Three of my six (major) movies had twist endings, three did not. It would be just as logical to say that none of my movies had a twist ending. My mantra is to sell the movie I made. And it always ends up becoming some version of a scary movie with a twist. And people go, ‘Well, that’s not quite what it is.’ ”

By many accounts, a lot is riding on the film for the director. Many see it as a comeback for the director and the advertising campaign associated with the film is playing up the film’s rating. The movie opens against stiff competition from The Incredible Hulk, which a few weeks ago didn’t seem that big a threat. But with the success of Iron Man, news from Marvel Studios that Hulk will tie-in to the larger Marvel movie universe and strong positive buzz, Hulk now look the 20-pound green-skinned goliath of the weekend and not The Happening.

And many Hollywood insiders believe The Happening needs to gross at least $60 million at the box-office to be a success. (The film cost a reported $57 million to make)

“He’s on the ropes,” says Jeff Bock of industry tracking firm Exhibitor Relations. “When you stray from your fan base, you’re going to make more enemies than friends. For the last couple of movies, the M in his name has stood for mud.”

Shyamalan bristles at the assessment. Though he concedes that Lady in the Water, a fairy tale featuring a mermaid in a swimming pool, did not connect with moviegoers, he says his earlier successes have made him a target among those who want to see him fail.

“Stars get third, fourth, eighth chances,” he says. “So I expect a third, fourth and eighth chance as well.”

How well the film does remains to be seen. However, on-line buzz is not positive for the film. Several sites have leaked reports about the plot of the film, despite Shyamalan’s best efforts to keep details of the film under wraps. Shyamalan may be trying to repeat the success of Sense in giving the audience a surprise, even if it’s not his infamous twist at the end of the film.

The Happening opens in theaters this Friday.