Genre: Horror/Thriller.
Studio:
Hollywood Pictures.
Production Company:
Unknown.
Project Phase: Greenlighted.
Who's In It:
Bruce Willis (Malcolm Crowe); Haley Joel Osment (Cole Sear); Toni Collette; Donnie
Walhberg (Vincent Gray); Olivia Williams.
Who's Making It:
M. Night Shyamalan (Director, Screenwriter); Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall (Producers).
Premise: After experiencing a horrifying tragedy two years previously, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe's world is in tatters. With the relationship between himself and his wife growing more distant each passing day, and still doubting whether or not his work makes a difference to those in need, Crowe hesitantly accepts a new patient. Eight-year-old Cole Sear has all the haunting characteistics that brand him a child of mental abuse: withdrawn, prone to mood swings and above all else, extremely afraid to everyday places. But by choosing to help Cole, Crowe has begun on a joruney that will utterly shatter his views on what he believes to be real...and what Cole Sear sees everyday, everywhere.
Release Date: 1999 (tentative.)
Comments: After reading the script, all we could say was: "Wow". Not only can this guy write utterly convincing characters reacting in totally believable ways but he can also make the hair on the back of your neck stand up straight in the next sentence. If you haven't heard of this fellow before, we guarantee you will within the next few years as the other projects he's scripted (Stuart Little, Labor of Love and the release of his studio directing debut, the forthcoming Wide Awake) start getting greenlighted. We are in awe of this guy. The best thing about this project is -- Shyamalan is slated to direct from his own script. If that does happen, prepare to be scared senseless when you see this film. Again, watch out for any film project that bears this fellow's name -- it's worth keeping your eye on it.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
November 11, 1997... Last month Disney purchased the script and Shyamalan to direct it for $2.25 million. Budgeted at between $10 to $14 million, the film is expected to move ahead rapidly in development.
December 23, 1997... Bruce Willis is now in negotiations to take the role of Malcolm Crowe, the child psychologist. [Scoops sent in anonymously.]
February 23, 1998... The word is Willis is a for sure thing. Filming is scheduled to start in late summer (August) in Philadelphia. [Scooped by 'randum'.]
April 5, 1998... Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall are producing this film. [Scoop submitted by 'time traveller'.]
Filming will take place in Philadelphia. [Anonymous.]
September 1, 1998... Time for an update on one of the project's were keeping a closer eye on.
Our most recent scoop (dated last week) informed us that the remaining main characters have been cast. Cole will be played by Haley Joel Osment, a child actor who's appeared in Murphy Brown, Walker, Texas Ranger and as young Forrest in Forrest Gump. We've also been told that Toni Collete has been cast; we're assuming in the role of Willis' character's wife. ]Thanks to 'DPW' for boldly going and anonymous for doing the same.]
September 8, 1998... According to a scooper who has friends in-the-know, Donny Walhberg has been cast as "the killer" character in The Sixth Sense last week. But -- what killer? As the scooper explains: "I managed to get a copy of the script a while ago, read it, loved it, can't wait for it. But I don't remember there being ANY other adult male characters other than Malcolm. So what I'm thinking, fearing actually, is that this sucker went through a hefty rewrite and threw in some stupid serial killer subplot."
Our version of Shyamalan's script calls for a part near the start of the picture that may be the part Walhberg has apparently nabbed. But that part is, at best, ten minutes in length in the draft we have. " I had hoped this thing would be above the studio rewrite machine's grasps, but I fear not" our scooper concludes with. ['Riggs' has his own seventh sense.]
September 10, 1998... "No, there hasn't been some massive rewrite of The Sixth Sense," said our latest scooper, making all of us who've read Shyamalan's script to breathe a sigh of relief. Turns out Walhberg is indeed going to play that small role we talked about in the last scoop. Wahlberg's character is a fellow called Vincent Gray who is very important to the story early on because he...oh yeah, that's right. Sorry. You'll have to wait and see it for yourself.
Shooting begins September 21 in Philadelphia. Walhberg's scenes get shot in the middle of October. [A big thank you to anonymous; with some material originally appearing in The Hollywood Reporter.]
September 27, 1998... It looks like somebody has the potential to bring us lots of scoops. Hint. Hint. "Our neighborhood (24th and Pine in Philadelphia) received notices yesterday that filming was occuring there on the 28th and 29th of Sept. from 6am to 10pm. Can't wait!" [Your friendly neighborhood 'dcparke' is on the job, never fear]