M. Night Shyamalan is looking to go dark for his next movie which remember is his first venture into an R-Rating. I’m rooting for him to blow us away again, or at worst make something that’s mildly entertaining because it’s so sad to see someone who only five or six years ago was at the top of the Hollywood food-chain and someone who is so obviously talented to produce something as vain and self referential as Lady in the Water.

His next movie much like Signs, is an ‘end of the world’ movie titled The Happening, which he is currently out shooting in Philadelphia with Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo. Some plot details have emerged from Cinematical, and it really does sound R-Rated material…

…something in Philadelphia is making people kill themselves and the phenomenon is believed to be caused by an airborne virus. A group of characters believe rural areas to be safe until they see a group of people who have hanged themselves. Attempts to seal up the car prove futile, and the driver rams the vehicle into a tree. The only survivor is John Leguizamo’s character who proceeds to slit his own wrists.

Although I’m really not hopeful for The Happening, mainly because M.Night has once again wrote the script for his film, I really do want to see him a good movie. I loved his first three movies and I was so excited by this helmer not so long ago who tackled three different genre’s in a classical 70’s style homage.

I would love to see him direct someone else’s script but he’s so determined to do everything himself, I doubt that is going to happen anytime soon.