An international movie trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening hit the web earlier this month, but was quickly removed by Fox. I think it might have had something to do with the unrated nature of the previous trailer (which can still be found on YouTube). I loved the “mass suicide” sequence shown in that trailer, but criticized the trailer for showing very little of the real story which involved Mark Wahlberg and his family on the run.
The official trailer has now hit the interwebs. The new trailer is more mysterious, building towards the mysterious apocalyptic crisis. I know a lot of people love to criticize Shyamalan, it’s become the in thing to do in recent years. But I think there is no denying that this trailer shows a lot of promise. Watch it now below.
The Happening hits theaters on Friday, June 13th 2008.
February 14th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Peter,
That’s the trailer for “The Visitor” (not “The Happening”).
February 14th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
fixed
February 14th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I am so excited to see this movie!
February 14th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Gotta love that blatant dig at science in the trailer. Strange times for cinema with TWBB and The Happening.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:20 am
I love it.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:22 am
That first trailer that was online a few weeks ago was so lame. This is soooo much better. I really hope this movie is good. Like half of M. Night Shyamalan’s movies I haven’t liked, the other half I have.
February 15th, 2008 at 1:43 am
Well I’ve loved each and every one of his movies, so 2 thumbs up!
February 15th, 2008 at 2:31 am
Great comedian (Boogie Nights, The Departed), but Mark Wahlberg just doesn’t fit this film. Maybe it’s the script, or maybe he’s supposed to deliver those lines badly.
February 15th, 2008 at 5:24 am
i’ve liked all of night’s films, this one looks good to me too…didn’t like the first trailer as much, this is better.
February 15th, 2008 at 6:09 am
ok, i’m calling the twist… its some kinda noise that is killing everbody.. like a good ole fashion culling song.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Yeah Wahlberg’s coming off a little too whiny. I wonder how tempted M Night was to just casting Bruce Willis again seriously.
But all in all, looks good count me in.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I didn’t know M. Night was directing the film version of Stephen King’s Cell. How about that?
February 15th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Thin Man- It’s not some kind of noise. Script review-http://tinyurl.com/2whusp
February 15th, 2008 at 10:45 am
holy shit that looks good!
February 15th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Wikipedia has an australian magazine as its source for this so I can’t verify it
SPOILERS
The Happening is a paranormal thriller in which a family must survive a global environmental crisis.[1] The film will portray the earth’s plants unleashing airborne neurotoxins that cause people to commit violent suicide. Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel star as an estranged couple who must escape this apocalyptic epidemic.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
*** Possible Spoiler Alert ***
Where can I get me one of these Suicide-Gas Plants?
February 15th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Yes, the trailer is cut very well. But since Signs, the big payoff for M. Night’s films have been severely lacking.
In SIGNS, the aliens attack the planet but yet lack the foresight that the planet they’re invading is covering by 75% of what harms them.
LADY IN THE WATER lacked the expected plot twist, so it at least exhibited a little bit of restraint on M. Night’s part.
However, there is a big reveal for THE HAPPENING, and it happens relatively early in the film. It is sorely disappointing and borderline preachy. He tries to be socially relevant, but his subtlety is like a sledgehammer.
February 15th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I hate to say it, but this film looks really fucking cool.
I hope he delivers the goods on this one. (I also admit that I really liked The Village, I thought it was a great ‘character’ film).
February 15th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Hey AJ
Completely agree with you about the payoff, but I think he should’ve ditched any attempt at a twist after Unbreakable and focused on telling good stories. Stupid endings or not, he’s a master when it comes to the telling–until the end (kinda like Stephen King).
I think the bigger concern right now is that Night makes films in a bubble to the point where he doesn’t have to listen to anyone’s feedback (and apparently won’t). While I wholeheartedly agree that a studio should not interfere with someone’s vision, at the same time I think everyone needs SOMEBODY to tell them their work is lacking.
Of course I’m speaking about Lady in the Water.
What was he thinking with this stream of consciousness nonsense? Personally, I don’t know what offended me more; the faux-horror movie advertising campaign (had I expected something less dark and spooky than his previous work I might have enjoyed it more) or the fact that he cast himself as THE WRITER WHO’S WORK CHANGES THE WORLD.
Really? Ego much?
Anywho, I’m very much excited by this one because I don’t see how there can be a major twist (unless WE’RE the plants) so hopefully he’ll just use his storytelling gifts to tell a good one that’s one helluva ride.
February 16th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
@AJ: Imo the aliens in “Signs” don’t need to be clever, because they are not real but a metaphor for the family’s fear and despair. They derive from cheesy ancient SF ideas and don’t claim to be more than that, i.e. a modern, more convincing view how a real alien invader could look like.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:55 am
why is that movie an interview of scarlett johanson?
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:44 am
I think that all of Nights films (bar Lady in the Water) are well structured and provide enough entertainment to keep you watching. I loved Unbreakable probably the best because of the great performances from both Willis and Sam. Jackson
I really really really REALLY hope The Happening turns out good because if he gives us another terrible movie again im afraid ill lose faith in the good director…and im starting to lose it after learning that the movie is about killer plants!!!
However, after seeing the trailers i think that its looking good and i cant wait to see it even if the reviews of it turn out to be bad!
its gunna be goood watching!!
May 18th, 2008 at 10:05 am
@Slow: It is too easy of a cop out to just say the aliens in “Signs” are metaphors. If he had decided to shoot the film in a style reminiscent of cheesy 50’s flicks I could understand. Regardless, we need to contextualize the film within a 21st century notion of what a sci-fi film is now. I think AJ has a valid point. The aliens, in all likelihood, possess enough advance technology to travel to different star systems, but lack the foresight to check out the water? Maybe if the movie was a comedy. His movies mostly insult the viewers intelligence nowadays, and I think that is what his biggest problem is. We are not buying it, but he continues trying to sell it.