Will and Jaden Smith are about to make their next film a family affair: they have signed on to costar in a science fiction action adventure film, which will be directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The father-son pair will play father and son in the film too, which will be set in the future. Jaden's character is that of a young boy exploring an abandoned planet in a spaceship his estranged father (Will) is also on. The last time the Smiths costarred was in 2006's The Pursuit of Happyness.
It's been a very good week for Will Smith's progeny. On Monday, aspiring singer/fashion plate Willow Smith released a video for her infectious "Whip My Hair," creating Internet buzz (and a Snooki imitation). But not to be outdone by his little sis, Jaden Smith — already a rising star on the big screen with The Pursuit of Happyness and The Karate Kid — is making today's headlines. Jaden will reportedly star in M. Night Shyamalan's next directorial project, the sci-fi One Thousand A.E., in development at Overbrook (a production company partly run by Will and Jada, naturally).
At this rate, Will and Jada are creating their own little Hollywood dynasty! But which of the two kids will have the most successful career? Weigh in!
The Last Airbender may sadly be remembered as the Summer blockbuster that could have been. On paper, it has all the makings of a perfect popcorn movie: an experienced director in M. Night Shyamalan, a fan base thanks to the cartoon series on which the film is based, and a story that appears to be both intricate and action-packed. Things went awry somewhere along the way, and writer/director/producer Shyamalan is the only one to blame.
It's hard to believe the man behind The Sixth Sense is also guilty of the painful dialogue and lackluster script we're given in Airbender. While the gorgeous scenery and dizzying special effects keep the film from falling apart entirely, it's not a promising start for a franchise. To see what i mean, just read more
There are whispers going around in Hollywood that M. Night Shyamalan has another movie in the works. Even though the director has his anticipated film The Last Airbender bowing next week, he's reportedly circulating an all-new hush-hush script to executives, and word is, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bradley Cooper, and Shyamalan regular Bruce Willis are already attached.
Nothing is known about the film's plot at this time — top secret stuff, people! — but Shyamalan hasn't exactly been a critical fave since Signs. Perhaps this is another chance for him to redeem himself? Here's a tip, Night: Bradley Cooper shirtless scenes.
M. Night Shyamalan hasn't exactly been cranking out hit movies in the past few years, but he has a chance to change his luck with the upcoming fantasy The Last Airbender. Adapted from an animated TV series, the film follows a 12-year-old boy named Aang caught in a war of the worlds.
The trailer might be a bit confusing so here's how it works: there are four nations based on the natural elements Earth, Wind, Air, and Fire. The elements can be controlled by chosen ones known as "benders," and Aang (played by newcomer Noah Ringer) is the last known airbender. The rulers of the Fire nation (including Prince Zuko, played by Dev Patel) have been abusing their power, offsetting the elements and causing a war. Now it's all up to Aang to put a stop to the terrorism and harness his power as the last hope for the Air, Water, and Earth nations.
Whew. Ok, now that I'm done geeking out, check out the preview. It's definitely a lot more action/adventure and less horror/mystery than what we're used to seeing from Shyamalan, but that just might be a good thing. Plus, I'm happy to see actors Dev Patel from Slumdog Millionaire and Twilight's Jackson Rathbone in something other than their breakout roles.
See for yourself when you read more
The best part of going to see The Happening was getting to watch the X-Files movie trailer — which is way more chilling on the big screen than it is on YouTube. Can't wait for that one! As for M. Night Shyamalan's latest spookfest, well, as Alec Baldwin's character Bob Barrenger remarks after a car crash in State and Main, "So. . . That happened."
The movie has been getting poor reviews, and even Shyamalan himself is calling it "the best B-movie you'll see," so I didn't go into the screening with the assumption that The Happening would be a masterpiece. And it's not that bad; it's no Jumper, say. It just gives us nothing whatsoever to care about. At all. It's empty and kinda silly and the acting is not good. There's a mystery to solve, which is interesting for a short time, but when it gets solved, the explanation for the mystery is pretty freaking lame. For more on this, read more
The last bit of info we got about M. Night Shyamalan's next project, The Happening, was a spooky and vague teaser trailer that has since been taken down. In its place we now have the full-length trailer for the movie, which opens June 13, and it's even creepier than the first one was.
"There appears to be an event happening." This is basically all we learn about the plague that hits the US in The Happening, but it's also all we need to know. In fact, the mystery surrounding the event makes whatever's "happening" that much more frightening. To see what I mean, and to catch more of a glimpse of Zooey Deschanel and Mark Wahlberg in the trailer, read more
Admittedly, I've mostly been interested in M. Night Shyamalan's next project The Happening because Zooey Deschanel is in it, and I'll pay attention to most anything Zooey does. Shyamalan, on the other hand, is sometimes great and sometimes one of my least favorite filmmakers in the world. Thus, I've been awaiting more information on The Happening with some degree of wariness.
Today we've gotten a first glimpse at The Happening and it's pretty creepy, though not too descriptive. We find out that something is plaguing the citizens of New York, making them suddenly kill themselves. From the plot description we learn that one family goes on the run from this "natural crisis."
The Happening opens June 13. To watch the teaser trailer, read more
