Zooey Deschanel Cast In M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening

Zooey Deschanel (Almost Famous) has signed on to star alongside Mark Wahlberg (The Departed) in M. Night Shyamalan's paranoid apocalyptic thriller The Happening.

The Happening follows a family who must survive a natural global environmental crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity. Mother Nature is sick of our polluting ways and has decided that we must go. An invisible neurotoxin is admitted into the air which causes people to become suicidal. Wahlberg will play Elliot Moore, a father of the family on the run.

Shyamalan's first R-rated effort will have a $57 million budget, and starts shooting August 2007 in Philadelphia. Many people who have read the script have said it has a ton of potential. And Shyamalan has definately gathered some talented actors (although, that's never been his weak point).

Twentieth Century Fox plans to release the film worldwide on Friday, June 13th 2008.