A paranoid thriller about a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity.

On ABC's The View, Shyamalan stated that his next project was a science fiction piece in the realm of Michael Crichton, and that it has Mark Wahlberg attached to it.[24] During the same broadcast, it was also implied that Paul Giamatti, the star of Lady In the Water, might participate in Shyamalan's next project as well as Colleen Cincotta, Mark Simbron, Justin Swope, and Kate Hudson. In addition, he has called his next project both his darkest and his most Hitchcockian. Saying, "The one I'm writing now, I really love those 1970s and 60s paranoia movies – The Andromeda Strain, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, so this new one is in that kind of vein."[25] He also told TIME Magazine that he has two ideas for his next film: "One is a big, broad idea, a Jurassic Parkian kind of idea. And one is kind of an Agatha Christie type idea. I’m trying to decide which to do."[26]
Shyamalan has since moved forward on his science fiction project. On March 7, 2007 Variety reported that M. Night's spec script The Green Effect had been sold to 20th Century Fox after having gone through a comprehensive rewrite when no major studios were interested enough in greenlighting the film. The project, renamed The Happening, is sceduled to be released in June 2008 and will be produced by Shyamalan, Sam Mercer, and Berry Mendel.
Despite Warner Bros. having already bought two more of his movies sight unseen, in an apparent career move, Shyamalan decided to broaden his studio relations to help his image.
"Because I'd been so lucky in making successful movies in the past, I was in monogamous relationships with a few studios and the isolation meant I'd never really met anybody," Shyamalan said. "Instead of me just being a name, I was a guy in a room."
The Happening will be Night's first R-rated effort.
"[Fox studio executive] Tom [Rothman] felt strongly about making this my first R-rated picture," Shyamalan said. "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."
The second draft of the movie was offered a home from several studios, but Shyamalan decided on Fox because of the studio's enthusiasm and past work in the genre of global disaster movies (e.g. The Day After Tomorrow). In addition to past hints, such as on Shyamalan's appearance on The View, that Paul Giamatti would return on his follow-up project to Lady in the Water, Shyamalan says he plans to cast a big name lead actor to star in the film.[27]
Shyamalan's recently announced film will be an R rated thriller filmed in Philadelphia. It will feature a family on the run from a natural crisis threatening all of humanity, and will be released in June of 2008.
On February 13, 2007 Latino Review posted a very favorable script review of The Happening (formerly titled The Green Effect) with El Mayimbe writing "[Shyamalan] is an original voice, an original storyteller who comes up with nothing but original stories. A guy who told stories successfully in the past will one day tell stories successfully again." He also added in regards to the spec script being turned down by almost every major studio, "I mean what was it? Was Shyamalan’s quote too high? Was there a list of demands? I mean what? It can’t be the script because, I’m sorry, it’s pretty darn good! I enjoyed the heck out of it. It was creepy and has a very good theme and premise."[28]
In addition, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News wrote a review of The Happening, writing "I predict if Fox stays out of M. Night's way, that this will be seen as M. Night's 'comeback'. . . . [W]hat M. Night has constructed thus far in this script is a very 1960s End of the World scenario. If you've ever seen NO BLADE OF GRASS - combine that with the premise of something like Stephen King's CELL - and you're heading in the direction that this movie goes in."[29]
Knowles also went on to call this potentially "the best film M. Night has made. . . . As with all of Shyamalan's films - at the heart of the script is spiritual healing and hope. However, unlike everything he's done - there's a mean streak."
The plot of the film involves Earth's vegetation unleashing an invisible neurotoxin causing all those who breathe it to brutally kill themselves.
The protagonist, a science teacher named Elliot Moore, goes on the run with his wife and friends as hysteria grips the planet.[30]
In a call-in interview with Preston and Steve's morning radio show in Philadelphia, Mark Wahlberg stated that he was in talks to star in the film

I'm pretty pysched, too. Allegedly, this is going to be Night's first R-rated film, which I think is probably a good thing. I have a copy of the script, but haven't read it yet, but the premise and the R-rating mean that we could be treated to some mind-blowing opening scenes.

This sounds like it has the potential to get Shyamalan back into form, as it were. Whether or not the quick turnaround time (it's apparently due out in July of 2008) will help or hurt it, I'm not really sure, but I'm leaning towards the former. I think the guy has good instincts, and will probably put out a better film this time around if he doesn't have too much time to overthink things. That's just an educated guess, though.

A cool poster it is, but I don't really like the tagline. References to Sixth Sense and Signs are a bit vulgar, in my opinion. Less vulgar than a ring turning into alethiometer, but still, who writes this crap?

I like it. I think the tagline is a signal to his fans that he's returning to what he does best, personally.

Definitely hyped for this one. Night knows suspense, so I'm eager to see what he does with the leeway an R rating will give him.