Date:07/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/07/stories/2008050756572000.htm

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Night Shyamalan aims to scare

India-born filmmaker outlines approach in his next movie ‘The Happening’

Manoj Night Shyamalan

MUMBAI: Hollywood filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has revealed that his new movie, The Happening, starring Mark Wahlberg as an ordinary school teacher, would terrify the crowds.

“It is an extremely scary movie. This is meant to scare you,” the India-born director told reporters here.

The United States-based Mr. Shyamalan was in India to receive on Monday the Padma Shri award for his contribution to cinema.

School teacher’s tale

In his new movie, which to be released worldwide on June 13, Wahlberg plays a school teacher on the run from a natural disaster that threatens the entire world.

“The emotional centre of the movie is if you knew you were going to die — that was a fact — what would your conversation be like? What would be the last thing you would say to your loved one?” Mr. Shyamalan said.

‘Surprising’ roles

He said he enjoys casting action heroes and giving them surprising roles — think Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, Mel Gibson in Signs, and now Wahlberg in his latest film.

“I like to cast action stars and then not let them do action roles. They still bring an energy to the movie,” he said. “You would never have seen Mark [Wahlberg] in a role like this — he’s human, sweet and funny. He plays an ordinary school teacher who is not going to come up with a genius plan to save the world.”

Taking on critics

A Hollywood favourite, Mr. Shyamalan was widely criticised for the 2006 fantasy flop Lady in the Water about a nymph living in a chamber beneath a swimming pool.

But on Monday here, he defended it as one of his best films, though he acknowledged it was the only one that lost money.

“Time will tell if I’m a fraud,” he said. “These are the movies that represent me.” — AP