M. Night Shyamalan
Born	Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan August 6, 1970 (1970-08-06) (age 37) Mahé, Pondicherry, India
Occupation	film director producer and screenwriter
Spouse(s)	Bhavna Vaswani (1993-)
Awards won Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Supporting Actor 2006 Lady in the Water Worst Director 2006 Lady in the Water

Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan (pronounced [ˈʃaməˈlan]) (Malayalam: മാനോജ് നെല്ലിയട്ടു ശ്യമലാന്‍; Tamil: மனோஜ் நெல்லியட்டு ஷ்யாமளன்) (born August 6, 1970), known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian American writer-director of major studio films, known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that usually climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies (and staging his plots) in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Pondicherry Region, Union Territory of Pondicherry, India Pondicherry (Tamil:புதுவை,Hindi: पॉण्डिचेरी) is a Union Territory of India. ... Director Herbert Brenon with actress Alla Nazimova on the set of War Brides, 1916 A director is a person who directs the making of a film. ... A film producer creates the conditions for making movies. ... Screenwriters, scenarists, or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... Razzie Award The Raspberry Awards or Razzies, first awarded in 1981, were created by John Wilson in 1980, intended to counterpoint the Academy Awards by dishonoring the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing, and films that the film industry had to offer. ... The 27th annual Golden Raspberry Awards, or Razzies, are scheduled to be held at the Ivar Theatre in Hollywood on February 24, 2007 to recognize the worst the movie industry had to offer in 2006. ... Lady in the Water is a 2006 thriller/fantasy film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and also produced by Sam Mercer and Jose L. Rodriguez. ... The 27th annual Golden Raspberry Awards, or Razzies, are scheduled to be held at the Ivar Theatre in Hollywood on February 24, 2007 to recognize the worst the movie industry had to offer in 2006. ... Lady in the Water is a 2006 thriller/fantasy film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and also produced by Sam Mercer and Jose L. Rodriguez. ... Malayalam ( ) is the language spoken predominantly in the state of Kerala, in southern India. ... Tamil ( ; IPA: ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people, originating on the Indian subcontinent. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For an article on American Indians see Native Americans. ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... Director Herbert Brenon with actress Alla Nazimova on the set of War Brides, 1916 A director is a person who directs the making of a film. ... A major film studio is a movie production and distribution company that releases a substantial number of films annually and consistently commands a significant share of box-office revenues in a given market. ... A twist ending or surprise ending is an unexpected conclusion or climax to a work of fiction, and which often contains irony or causes the audience to reevaluate the narrative or characters. ... For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

Shyamalan released his first film, Praying with Anger, in 1992 while he was a New York University student. His second movie, the major feature film Wide Awake, made in 1995 but not released until 3 years later, failed to find financial success. Shyamalan gained international recognition when he wrote and directed 1999's The Sixth Sense, which was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. He followed The Sixth Sense by writing and directing Unbreakable, released in 2000, which received mixed reviews and performed poorly during its domestic release. His 2002 film Signs gained both critical and financial success, but The Village (2004) was a critical and commercial disappointment, and Lady in the Water (2006) was a commercial failure receiving mostly negative reviews. His latest movie is The Happening. Praying with Anger (1992) was the directorial debut of M. Night Shyamalan. ... New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in New York City. ... Wide Awake is a 1998 film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. ... For the ability sometimes referred to as sixth sense, see Extra-sensory perception. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ... // The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ... This page refers to Unbreakable the film. ... Signs is a 2002 science fiction thriller film directed by M. Night Shyamalan starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin. ... This article is about the 2004 film. ... Lady in the Water is a 2006 thriller/fantasy film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and also produced by Sam Mercer and Jose L. Rodriguez. ... The Happening is a 2008 American apocalyptic film written, co-produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. ...

Early life and career

Shyamalan was born in Mahe, Pondicherry, India.^[1] His father, Nelliyattu C. Shyamalan, a physician, is a Malayali, and his mother, Jayalakshmi (called Jaya), is a Tamilian and an obstetrician and gynecologist by profession.^[2] In the 1960s, after medical school (at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research in Pondicherry) and the birth of their first child, Veena, Shyamalan's parents moved to the United States. Shyamalan's mother returned to India to spend the last five months of her pregnancy with him at her parents' home in Chennai (Madras). Categories: India geography stubs | Pondicherry ... Map of Pondicherry Region, Union Territory of Pondicherry, India Pondicherry (Tamil:புதுவை,Hindi: पॉण्डिचेरी) is a Union Territory of India. ... For other uses, see Doctor. ... Language(s) Malayalam (മലയാളം) Religion(s) Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Tamils Telugus Tuluvas A Malayali woman wearing a Sari A Malayali man wearing a Mundu The Malayali people (also spelt Malayalee; Malayalam: മലയാളി) are members of the collection of ethnic groups defined by their... Languages Tamil Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Gonds The Tamil people are a multi-ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... Obstetrics and gynaecology (often abbreviated Ob-Gyn in the US and O&G elsewhere) form a single medical specialty and have a combined postgraduate training program. ... The Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) is a premier medical institute of India located in Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry), a town in southern India that lies on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. ... Madras redirects here. ...

Shyamalan spent his first six weeks in Pondicherry and then was raised in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, an affluent Main Line suburb of Philadelphia. He attended the private Catholic grammar school Waldron Mercy Academy, which his parents chose for its academic discipline,^[3] followed by The Episcopal Academy, a private Episcopalian high school also in Lower Merion. Shyamalan went on to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, in Manhattan, graduating in 1992. It was here that he made up his middle name. Located on the Main Line, it is a suburb of Philadelphia. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... For the historic canal, see Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... Catholic schools are education ministries of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Episcopal Academy is a private, co-educational school for grades pre-k through 12. ... -1... For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ... Lower Merion Township is a township located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and part of the Pennsylvania Main Line. ... New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in New York City. ... Tisch School of the Arts (known more commonly as Tisch or TSOA) is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University (NYU). ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ...

Shyamalan had an early desire to be a filmmaker when he was given a Super-8 camera at a young age. Though his father wanted Shyamalan to follow in the family practice of medicine, his mother encouraged Shyamalan to follow his passion.^[4] By the time he was 17, Shyamalan, who had been a fan of Steven Spielberg, had made 45 home movies. Beginning with The Sixth Sense, he has included a scene from one of these childhood films on each DVD release of his films, which he feels represents his first attempt at the same kind of film (with the exception of Lady in the Water). Super 8 can refer to: Super 8 Motels, a national motel chain Super 8mm film, a form of film often used for home movies, most popular in the 60s and 70s This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... Steven Allan Spielberg KBE (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. ... For the ability sometimes referred to as sixth sense, see Extra-sensory perception. ... Lady in the Water is a 2006 thriller/fantasy film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and also produced by Sam Mercer and Jose L. Rodriguez. ...

Shyamalan made his first film, the semiautobiographical drama Praying with Anger, while still an NYU student, using money borrowed from family and friends.^[5] It was screened at the Toronto Film Festival on September 12, 1992,^[6] and played commercially at one theater for one week.^[6] When the film debuted at the Toronto Film Festival, Shyamalan was introduced by David Overbey who predicted that the world would see more of Shyamalan in the years to come. Praying with Anger has also been shown on Canadian television. Filmed in Chennai, it is his only film to be shot outside of Pennsylvania. For other uses, see Drama (disambiguation). ... Praying with Anger (1992) was the directorial debut of M. Night Shyamalan. ... The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is generally considered to be one of the five top film festivals in the world. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is generally considered to be one of the five top film festivals in the world. ... Main articles: History of Canada, Timeline of Canadian history Canada has been inhabited by aboriginal peoples (known in Canada as First Nations) for at least 40,000 years. ... Madras redirects here. ...

Shyamalan wrote and directed his second movie, Wide Awake, in 1995, though it was not released until 1998.^[7] His parents were the film's associate producers. The drama dealt with a ten-year-old Catholic schoolboy (Joseph Cross) who, after the death of his grandfather (Robert Loggia), searches for God. The film's supporting cast included Dana Delany and Denis Leary as the boy's parents, as well as Rosie O'Donnell, Julia Stiles, and Camryn Manheim. Wide Awake was filmed in a school Shyamalan attended as a child^[8] and earned 1999 Young Artist Award nominations for Best Drama, and, for Cross, Best Performance.^[9] Only in limited release, the film grossed $305,704 in theaters.^[10] Wide Awake is a 1998 film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. ... A film producer creates the conditions for making movies. ... Joseph Michael Cross (born May 28, 1986) is an American actor. ... Robert Loggia (born January 3, 1930) is an American Academy Award and Emmy Award nominated film and television actor who specializes in character parts. ... Dana Welles Delany (born March 13, 1956 in New York City, New York) is an American film, stage, and television actress. ... Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-nominated American actor, comedian, writer and director. ... Rosie ODonnell (born March 21, 1962 in Bayside, Queens, New York) is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning American talk show host, television personality, comedienne, film, television, and stage actress. ... Julia OHara Stiles (born March 28, 1981) is an American stage and screen actress. ... Camryn Manheim Camryn Manheim (born Debra Frances Manheim on March 8, 1961, in Caldwell, New Jersey), is an American actress who is best known for her role as attorney Ellenor Frutt on the ABC legal drama The Practice. ... The Young Artist Award is an award which is presented yearly by the Young Artist Foundation. ...

That same year Shyamalan wrote the screenplay for Stuart Little. Stuart Little is a 1999 live-action film, very loosely based on the novel of the same name (few of the events in the movie actually occurred in the book). ...

In 1993, Shyamalan married Indian psychologist Bhavna Vaswani, a fellow student whom he had met at NYU^[11] and with whom he has had two daughters. As of early-2008, the family resides in Willistown Township, Pennsylvania, near Shyamalan's usual shooting site of Philadelphia. A psychologist is an expert in psychology, the systematic investigation of the human body, including behavior, cognition, and affect. ... Willistown Township is a township located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. ...

Movies

Praying with Anger

Main article: Praying with Anger

Praying with Anger was Night's first work as a young director and was released in 1992. The movie tells the story of a young man named Dev Raman (played by Shyamalan) who returns to India to explore his heritage. During the course of the movie, Dev learns that his cold and distant father, now deceased, actually cared for him a great deal before his passing. The title of the movie comes from a moment in the film when the protagonist learns that he is able to pray to Hindu deities with almost any emotion except indifference. Upon realizing this, Raman finds he is only able to pray with anger.^[12][13] Praying with Anger (1992) was the directorial debut of M. Night Shyamalan. ...

Wide Awake

Main article: Wide Awake

Wide Awake, Shyamalan's first major feature film, came from a screenplay written by Shyamalan that was purchased by the then up-and-coming independent film studio Miramax. A provision was added to the sale that Shyamalan could direct the film and shoot it in Philadelphia. It was produced by Cary Woods and Cathy Konrad. The film starred Joseph Cross, Rosie O'Donnell, Dana Delaney, Denis Leary, and Robert Loggia. Wide Awake also featured Julia Stiles in one of her earliest roles as Josh's teenage sister, Nina. The film follows a young boy's search for God after his grandfather dies, a story told quietly, driven by dialogue. Wide Awake is a 1998 film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. ... Miramax is a Big Ten film distribution and production company. ... Joseph Michael Cross (born May 28, 1986) is an American actor. ... Rosie ODonnell (born March 21, 1962 in Bayside, Queens, New York) is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning American talk show host, television personality, comedienne, film, television, and stage actress. ... Dana Welles Delany (born March 13, 1956 in New York City, New York) is an American film, stage, and television actress. ... Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-nominated American actor, comedian, writer and director. ... Robert Loggia (born January 3, 1930) is an American Academy Award and Emmy Award nominated film and television actor who specializes in character parts. ... Julia OHara Stiles (born March 28, 1981) is an American stage and screen actress. ...

The film is similar to later Shyamalan films with a theme of crises of belief, a supernatural sub-plot, and a twist ending that sums up the ideas presented in the film.^[14] It is the only Shyamalan-directed film to date in which the director does not make a cameo appearance. Although Wide Awake was made in 1995, it was not released until 1998 where it grossed a total of only $288,000 against a production budget of $7 million.

The Sixth Sense

Main article: The Sixth Sense

Shyamalan achieved commercial success in 1999 when he wrote and directed The Sixth Sense, a supernatural drama about a psychologist (Bruce Willis) who blames himself for a patient's suicide and his own broken marriage. Upon meeting a disturbed child (Haley Joel Osment) who claims to see people who have died, the psychologist feels he has a chance to redeem himself. According to the book DisneyWar, David Vogel of The Walt Disney Company read Shyamalan's script and, without obtaining approval from his superiors, bought the rights to it for a high $2 million and allowed Shyamalan to direct.^[15] Vogel's bosses, disagreeing with his decision, sold the profits to Spyglass Entertainment and kept only a 12.5 percent distribution fee for itself.^[15] For the ability sometimes referred to as sixth sense, see Extra-sensory perception. ... For other uses, see Supernatural (disambiguation). ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a Golden Globe- and double Emmy-winning German-born American actor and singer. ... Haley Joel Osment (born April 10, 1988) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... DisneyWar is an exposé of Michael Eisners 20-year tenure at the The Walt Disney Company by James B. Stewart. ... Disney redirects here. ... Spyglass Entertainment is an American film and television production company, Co-founded by Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, where they serve as Co-CEOs. ...

The film had a $40-million budget, and grossed over $600 million at the box office worldwide.

The Sixth Sense was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Editing, Best Supporting Actor for Osment, Best Supporting Actress for Toni Collette, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Original Screenplay. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America awarded it a Nebula Award for Best Script of 1999. The Academy Award for Film Editing was first given for films issued in 1934. ... Best Supporting Actor or Best Supporting Actress is an accolade given by a group of film or theatre professionals in recognition of the work of supporting and character actors. ... Best Supporting Actor or Best Supporting Actress is an accolade given by a group of film or theatre professionals in recognition of the work of supporting and character actors. ... Toni Collette (born November 1, 1972) is an Academy Award-nominated Australian actress and musician. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ... The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ... The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ... Science Fiction Writers of America, or SFWA (pronounced // or //), was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight. ... Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Script. ...

Unbreakable

Main article: Unbreakable (film)

Unbreakable is a drama about David Dunn (Bruce Willis), the sole survivor of a train crash, and his encounters with comic book collector Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), who is convinced that Dunn has latent superpowers. The movie opened to mixed reviews with many comparing it to "The Sixth Sense" and noting its slow pace and somber atmosphere.^[16] With a budget of $73.2 million, the movie failed to make a net profit domestically with a total box office gross of $95 million^[17]. It went on to collect another $154 million worldwide.^[18] This page refers to Unbreakable the film. ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a Golden Globe- and double Emmy-winning German-born American actor and singer. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Samuel Jackson redirects here. ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Net income is equal to the income that a firm has after subtracting costs and expenses from the total revenue. ... In economics gross means before deductions (brutto), e. ...

Signs

Main article: Signs (film)

Opening in August 2002, Signs is a science fiction drama of a rural Pennsylvania pastor (Mel Gibson) who has lost his faith after his wife's death and regains it with his family as they witness the worldwide events of an alien invasion. Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin also star. Budgeted at $72 million, Signs grossed $227 million domestically and $408 million worldwide.^[19] It was the highest-grossing film as well as the highest opening-weekend gross ($60 million) of Gibson's career as an actor. Signs is a 2002 science fiction thriller film directed by M. Night Shyamalan starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, AO (born January 3, 1956) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American-Australian actor, director, producer and screenwriter. ... Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (pronounced wah-KEEN FEE-nix;[1] born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican film actor. ... Culkin in Signs, 2002 Rory Hugh Culkin (born July 21, 1989) is an American actor. ... Abigail Kathleen Breslin (born 1996) is an American actress. ...

The film received a generally positive reception. Most notably of which was Roger Ebert's four-star review, stating, "M. Night Shyamalan's Signs is the work of a born filmmaker, able to summon apprehension out of thin air. When it is over, we think not how little has been decided, but how much has been experienced".^[20]

Shyamalan said in an interview with Science Fiction Weekly that his choice of Gibson was based in part by the actor's emotional role in the film Lethal Weapon: "I was on my parents' sofa watching the video of Lethal Weapon, and then this guy did stuff emotionally that had no business being in an action movie. ... I completely believed the humanity of a man who was so torn by the loss of his wife that he wasn't afraid of dying, which made him a lethal weapon. ... [W]hen I wrote the movie about a guy who loses faith because his wife has passed away, I felt like that was the guy. And I also like taking an action guy and not letting him be The Guy." Science Fiction Weekly (1995-), a component of SciFi. ... Lethal Weapon is a 1987 action film, the first in a series of American movies that were released in 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1998, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of LAPD detectives. ...

Shyamalan also said that originally, there was going to be very little music in the film, but that composer James Newton Howard's intense and emotional compositions reminded him of a Bernard Herrmann (Alfred Hitchcock's frequent composer) score and prompted him to change his mind.^[21] This article is about James Howard, the composer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 â€“ April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ...

The Village

Main article: The Village (film)

Drawing on Wuthering Heights after being offered to pen a screen adaptation, Shyamalan went to work on what was originally titled The Woods.^[22] The Village was released in July 2004. A drama starring Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Adrien Brody, it tells of a small, 19th-century community run by a group of "Elders" who seem to be content in their isolation from the outside world. The village is encircled by a forest said to be filled with mysterious and threatening creatures. Even as an uneasy truce between the villagers and the creatures seems to be falling apart, one villager (Phoenix) starts to question their forced isolation. This article is about the 2004 film. ... For other uses, see Wuthering Heights (disambiguation). ... Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (pronounced wah-KEEN FEE-nix;[1] born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican film actor. ... William Hurt (born March 20, 1950) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Sigourney Weaver (born Susan Alexandra Weaver on October 8, 1949 in New York City) is an Oscar-nominated American actress. ... Bryce Dallas Howard (born March 2, 1981) is an American actress best known for her film roles in the M. Night Shyamalan-directed The Village and Lady in the Water, and as Gwen Stacy in Sam Raimis Spider-Man 3. ... Adrien Brody (born April 14, 1973) is an American actor. ...

With total production costs of $71.6 million,^[23] the film grossed $114.2 million domestically ($50 million in its opening weekend) and a further $142 million in non-USA receipts. Its successful opening weekend in America was followed by a severe dropoff of 67%, and the film is generally considered to be a commercial disappointment. Critical response was mostly negative:^[24] Desson Thomson of The Washington Post called it "a bewildering disappointment";^[24] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times said, "It's tedious instead of provocative and so unconvincing as to be preposterous."^[24] Roger Ebert, who had previously praised Shyamalan, called the film "a colossal miscalculation, a movie based on a premise that cannot support it, a premise so transparent it would be laughable were the movie not so deadly solemn. . . . He is a director of considerable skill who evokes stories out of moods, but this time, alas, he took the day off".^[25] The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ... Kevin Thomas is a cornerback who currentluy plays for the Buffalo Bills and went to UNLV. He is averaging 2 sacks per game. ... This just IN !!!:paris hiltons new dog. ...

Shyamalan expressed a great deal of regret in the way the film was marketed, telling producing partner Sam Mercer, while overseeing the editing of the teaser trailer for Lady in the Water, that he had wished for the The Village to have been sold as a period romance with a scare only at the end of the trailer. Shyamalan is also said to have thought that the shift in the main theme of faith from his previous films to that of deception resulted in the mixed-negative response. Citing that his other movies set out to make an audience believe in the supernatural, The Village set out to do the opposite.^[26] Lady in the Water is a 2006 thriller/fantasy film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and also produced by Sam Mercer and Jose L. Rodriguez. ... This article is about the 2004 film. ...

The Village earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score. The Academy Award for Original Music Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer. ...

Lady in the Water

Main article: Lady in the Water

Lady in the Water, released on July 21, 2006, is a fantasy about Philadelphia maintenance man Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti), who discovers a young woman named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) in the swimming pool of his apartment complex. Gradually, he and his neighbors learn that she is a water nymph who has come to "the world of man" to bring inspiration to someone in the complex. Her life is in danger from a vicious, wolf-like, mystical creature that tries to keep her from returning to her watery "blue world." Lady in the Water is a 2006 thriller/fantasy film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and also produced by Sam Mercer and Jose L. Rodriguez. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Fantasy (disambiguation). ... Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (born June 6, 1967) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Bryce Dallas Howard (born March 2, 1981) is an American actress best known for her film roles in the M. Night Shyamalan-directed The Village and Lady in the Water, and as Gwen Stacy in Sam Raimis Spider-Man 3. ... A Naiad by John William Waterhouse, 1893. ...

The proposal for this film was underscored by a rift between Shyamalan and Disney, the studio for which he had made his biggest previous films. In the book The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale by Michael Bamberger, Shyamalan said that he felt Disney "no longer valued individualism...no longer valued fighters."^[27] Shyamalan left the studio after production president Nina Jacobson and others became highly critical of his script, which Warner Bros. eventually produced.^[28] Critical response was again negative — Frank Lovece of Film Journal International saying simply, "this Lady is the Showgirls of fantasy film"^[29] — disparaging both the inclusion of a film-critic character (one of many elements of Shyamalan's screenplay that Disney found troublesome) and Shyamalan's decision to take such a large and personal role in the film as a writer whose work would change the world. The New York Post wrote that the film was "dead in the water", criticizing Shyamalan as a "crackpot with messianic delusions." Nina Jacobson is an American film executive who, until July 2006, was president of the Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. ... “WB” redirects here. ... Frank Lovece is an American journalist, author, comedy performer and comic-book writer. ... The first edition of The New York Post of July 6, 2004 incorrectly declared that U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry would choose U.S. Representative Dick Gephardt to be his vice-presidential running mate that day (in reality, Kerry chose John Edwards). ...

Lady in the Water received four Golden Raspberry Award nominations, three of which were for Shyamalan himself (Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Director and Worst Screenplay), as well as Worst Picture. The Golden Raspberries or Razzies were created by John Wilson in 1980, intended to complement the Academy Awards by dishonoring the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing, and films that the film industry had to offer. ...

As of September 14, 2006, the film made $42.3 million domestically and $30.5 million in the foreign box office, totaling $72.8 million. Combined production and marketing costs amounted to approximately twice this figure. DVD rentals of the film have earned it another $19.96 million as of February 18, 2007. is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

The Happening

Main article: The Happening (2008 film)

On January 28, 2007, Variety reported that Shyamalan showed a new script titled The Green Effect to studio executives but no major studios were interested in greenlighting the film.^[30] A little over a month later, the same magazine reported that Shyamalan's spec script (now titled The Happening) had been sold to 20th Century Fox after an extensive rewrite. The Happening is a 2008 American apocalyptic film written, co-produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... A screenplay or script is a blueprint for producing a motion picture. ...

The plot involves a mysterious substance in the form of a neurotoxin released by plants. When a human comes into contact with this substance it results in a horrific death caused by the person killing themselves. The protagonist, a science teacher named Elliot Moore, attempts to escape from the substance with his wife and friends as hysteria grips the planet.^[31] For university teachers, see professor. ...

Despite the hype of being M. Night Shyamalan's first R-Rated film, it failed to impress notable critics. The film is produced by Shyamalan, Sam Mercer, and Barry Mendel, and was released in the U.S. on Friday the 13th of June 13, 2008. This article is about the superstition. ...

The Last Airbender

Main article: The Last Airbender

On January 8, 2007, it was announced that Shyamalan would write, direct and produce the live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an animated TV series on the children's cable channel Nickelodeon, a series influenced by Asian art, mythology and various martial-arts fighting styles. The movie will be produced for Paramount Pictures' MTV Films and Nick Movies. The trade paper Variety later reported Shyamalan would film Avatar after The Happening.^[32] is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... An animated television series or cartoon television series is a television series produced by means of animation. ... This article is about the TV channel. ... Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ...

According to an interview with the co-creators in SFX Magazine, Shyamalan came across Avatar when his daughter wanted to be Katara for Halloween. Intrigued, Shyamalan researched and watched the series with his family. "Watching Avatar has become a family event in my house ... so we are looking forward to how the story develops in season three", said M. Night Shyamalan. "Once I saw the amazing world that Mike and Bryan created, I knew it would make a great feature film."^[33] SFX is a British science fiction magazine, published every four weeks. ... Katara is a fictional character voiced by Mae Whitman in the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. ... This article is about the holiday. ...

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, M. Night will begin filming Avatar: The Last Airbender in May 2009; he will need four or five huge soundstages in the Philadelphia area to produce this film.^[34] On April 15, 2008, Paramount and Nickelodeon announced the official title for the film will be The Last Airbender.^[35] Also announced was the release date, July 2, 2010. The Last Airbender is currently the only movie announced for the July 4th holiday weekend of that year. is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fourth of July redirects here. ...

Other projects

In July 2000, on The Howard Stern Show, Shyamalan said he had met with Spielberg and was in early talks to write the script for the fourth Indiana Jones film. This would have given Shyamalan a chance to work with his longtime idol, Steven Spielberg.^[36] After the project fell through Shyamalan later said it was too "tricky" to arrange and "not the right thing" for him to do.^[37] This article is a biography of Howard Stern as an individual; for information regarding his radio show see The Howard Stern Show. ... Indy 4 redirects here. ... Steven Allan Spielberg KBE (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. ...

Shyamalan's name was linked with the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but the project seemed to conflict with the production of Unbreakable. In July 2006, while doing press tours for Lady in the Water, Shyamalan said he is still interested in directing one of the last two Harry Potter films. "The themes that run through it...the empowering of children, a positive outlook...you name it, it falls in line with my beliefs", Shyamalan said. "I enjoy the humor in it. When I read the first Harry Potter and was thinking about making it, I had a whole different vibe in my head of it".^[38][39] Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, released in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, is a 2001 fantasy/adventure film based on the novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling. ...

After the release of The Village in 2004, Shyamalan had been planning a film adaptation of Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi with 20th Century Fox, but later backed out so that he could make Lady in the Water. "I love that book. I mean, it's basically [the story of] a kid born in the same city as me [Pondicherry, India] — it almost felt predestined", Shyamalan said. "But I was hesitant because the book has kind of a twist ending. And I was concerned that as soon as you put my name on it, everybody would have a different experience. Whereas if someone else did it, it would be much more satisfying, I think. Expectations, you've got to be aware of them. I'm wishing them all great luck. I hope they make a beautiful movie".^[40]-1...

Other media

Sci Fi Channel

In 2004, Shyamalan was involved in a media hoax with the Sci Fi Channel, which when eventually uncovered by the press, prompted Sci Fi's parent company, NBC-Universal, to denounce the undertaking as "not consistent with our policy at NBC. We would never intend to offend the public or the press and we value our relationship with both."^[41] A hoax is an attempt to trick an audience into believing that something false is real. ... SCI FI (originally The Sci-Fi Channel, sometimes rendered SCI FI Channel) is an American cable television channel, launched in early 1992,[1] that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal programming. ... NBC Universal is a media and entertainment company formed in May 2004 by the combination of General Electrics NBC with Vivendi Universal Entertainment (part of the French Media Group, Vivendi SA. GE owns 80% of NBC Universal with the remaining 20% owned by Vivendi SA). ...

Sci Fi claimed in its "documentary" special — The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan, shot on the set of The Village — that Shyamalan was legally dead for nearly a half-hour while drowned in a frozen pond in a childhood accident, and that upon being rescued he had experiences of communicating with spirits, fueling an obsession with the supernatural. The Sci Fi Channel also claimed that Shyamalan had grown "sour" when the "documentary" filmmakers' questions got too personal, and had therefore withdrawn from participating and threatened to sue the filmmakers.

In truth, Shyamalan developed the hoax with Sci Fi, going so far as having Sci Fi staffers sign non-disclosure agreements with a $5-million fine attached and requiring Shyamalan's office to formally approve each step. Neither the childhood accident nor the supposed rift with the filmmakers ever occurred. The hoax included a non-existent Sci Fi publicist, "David Westover", whose name appeared on press releases regarding the special. Sci Fi also fed false news stories to the Associated Press^[42] and Zap2It.com,^[43] among others. A New York Post news item, based on a Sci Fi press release, referred to Shyamalan's attorneys threatening to sue the filmmakers; the attorneys named were non-existent. A news release or press release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and the oldest to have been published continually as a daily. ...

After an AP reporter confronted Sci Fi Channel president Bonnie Hammer at a press conference, Hammer admitted the hoax, saying it was part of a guerrilla marketing campaign to generate pre-release publicity for The Village. Despite his office's disclosure-agreement requirement and approvals of each marketing step, Shyamalan told the AP, "I was, of course, involved in the production of the special but had nothing to do with the marketing of it. If the Sci Fi Channel erred in their marketing strategy, it was totally out of enthusiasm."^[41] Other critics have since deemed viewers to be victim of a somewhat 'cheap' promotional trick which went too far.^[44] Bonnie Hammer has been President of the U.S. cable channel SCI FI since 2001 and of the USA Network since 2004 (both networks are owned by NBC Universal). ... Example of guerrilla marketing in São Paulo, Brazil promoting the Hopi Hari amusement park. ... Wikibooks has more about this subject: Marketing Look up publicity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Criticism

A common criticism of Shyamalan is that he is a better director than he is a screenwriter. Some critics have suggested that he would be more successful by hiring a screenwriter to help translate his stories to the big screen.^[45][46] He has also been labeled a "one-trick pony" for his continuous use of, what some people call, the "twist" element in his screenplays.^[47]Actually most of these so-called twists are signposted liberally throughout the movie, making the endings more a tying up of all the pointers already revealed. After the release of The Village, Slate's Michael Agger noted that Shyamalan was following "an uncomfortable pattern" of "making fragile, sealed-off movies that fell apart when exposed to outside logic."^[48] Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Slate is an online news and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley and owned by Microsoft (as part of MSN). ...

In a May 31, 2008, interview with the London "Independent," Shyamalan offered this answer to the question about his "one-trick" movies: "Q: A common misperception of me is ... A:That all my movies have twist endings, or that they're all scary. All my movies are spiritual and all have an emotional perspective."^[49]

In recent years, M. Night Shyamalan has been accused of plagiarism. It has been noted that The Sixth Sense resembles the Orson Scott Card novel Lost Boys.^[50] Robert McIlhinney, a Pennsylvania screenwriter, sued Shyamalan over the similarity of Signs to his unpublished script Lord of the Barrens.^[51] Margaret Peterson Haddix considered a lawsuit after it was noted that The Village had numerous elements found in her children's novel Running Out of Time.^[52] Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951)[1] is a bestselling American author, as well as being a critic, political writer, and speaker. ... About Margaret Peterson Haddix She is an author of teen and adult books. ... This page is about the novel by Margaret Peterson Haddix, for other uses, see Running Out of Time Running Out of Time is a fiction novel by Margaret Peterson Haddix. ...

References

The Christian Science Monitor (CSM) is an international newspaper published daily, Monday through Friday. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This just IN !!!:paris hiltons new dog. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in Leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Night Shyamalan

• M. Night Shyamalan at the Internet Movie Database
• M. Night Shyamalan: The Official Site
• 2006 M. Night Shyamalan interview (Interview with Jon Niccum)
• Interview with Rajeev Masand on CNN-IBN/ibnlive.com

For the in-memory database management system, see In-memory database. ... Praying with Anger (1992) was the directorial debut of M. Night Shyamalan. ... Wide Awake is a 1998 film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. ... For the ability sometimes referred to as sixth sense, see Extra-sensory perception. ... This page refers to Unbreakable the film. ... Signs is a 2002 science fiction thriller film directed by M. Night Shyamalan starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin. ... This article is about the 2004 film. ... Lady in the Water is a 2006 thriller/fantasy film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and also produced by Sam Mercer and Jose L. Rodriguez. ... The Happening is a 2008 American apocalyptic film written, co-produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. ...