Shyamalan's 'Happening' opens at third spot on box office

New York, June 16 (IANS) Talented Indian American filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan's latest offering "The Happening" has received mixed response at the box office as well as reviews.

Shyamalan's eighth film has done second lowest business in the opening weekend after his disastrous "Lady in the Water" (2006). "The Happening" came in third place with $30.5 million in US and Canadian theatres while "The Incredible Hulk" was the top film at the box office with sales of $54.5 million.

However, "The Happening" has not done too badly. It opened in fewer than 3,000 theatres, and has grossed on par with the director-scriptwriter's "Unbreakable" in 2000 but not quite as much as his "Signs" and "The Village", both of which opened over $50 million.

Considering that the film had gathered bad buzz and box office pundits had projected only $22 million for it in weekend ticket sales, it has not done to badly.

More important, with a rumoured production budget at just $60 million, distributor 20th Century Fox will consider the apocalyptic horror film a success if it can hold up business over the next few weeks.

As for reviews, "The Happening" got only 19 positive write-ups of 97 tracked on RottenTomatoes.com on Friday.

In the movie, Mark Wahlberg plays a father who tries to escape from a crisis that poses a threat to humanity.

Shyamalan was honoured with a Padma Shri earlier this year by the Indian government.

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The Happening