Shyamalan’s whistle-stop at 30th Street

Here we have a report from Philly.com on M. Night Shyamalan’s next film.  It’s getting very exciting!

The Happening, the M. Night Shyamalan flick shooting hereabouts, is well on track.Shyamalan, cast and crew set up yesterday near the Amtrak ticket booths on the north side of 30th Street Station. The space was done up with prop food stands, including Bucks County Coffee Co., Sarcone’s Bakery and Philly Pretzel Factory. (Actor/cheesesteak mogul Tony Luke Jr. manned a “Tony Luke’s” booth.) Copies of The Inquirer were hung from a newsstand.Scenes included star Mark Wahlberg, in a blue button-down and jeans and carrying an overnight bag, walking through extras playing train passengers. Plot specifics are under wraps, but I hear that the setting moves from New York City (where production began last week) to Philly as Wahlberg, wife (played by Zooey Deschanel) and best friend (John Leguizamo) flee a crisis that threatens to wipe out humanity.

Deschanel, Leguizamo and young costar Ashlyn Sanchez were seen on set yesterday. Shyamalan’s wife, Bhavna, and two daughters watched.

The station is one of many Philly locations, including Rittenhouse Square. “The city becomes a part of the fabric of this film, the way it was felt in The Sixth Sense,” says Jose L. Rodriguez, a producer. (Lots of damp fabric as the company filmed its first Philly scenes last week at Masterman School during the heat wave. Shyamalan ordered up water bottles, imprinted with The Happening and outfitted with holsters, to be worn on the hip.)

Yesterday, while crew lunched at 30th Street, the Shyamalans led a small party to Rae restaurant, in the adjacent Circa Centre. And Friday, I hear, Shyamalan graciously signed autographs while taking in Beyonce’s show at the Wachovia Center.

Thanks to Ben Kim for the update!

[Inqlings at Philly.com for more including pictures!]

2 Comments

  1. OMG, I am sooo excited!!! Who was that operating the camera? We first heard that Eduardo Serra (Unbreakable, Blood Diamond) was going to be the DP, then IMDb listed that Tak Fujimoto (Signs, Breach) as the DP. hmmm.

Comments are closed.