There’s an argument – and it’s an argument that this writer subscribes to – that ever since “The Sixth Sense” each of M. Night Shyamalan’s films has been worse than the one that preceded it. “The Sixth Sense” > “Unbreakable” > “Signs” > “The Village” > “Lady in the Water” > “The Happening” > “The Last Airbender.” You may have a few minor quibbles with that order, but it’s hard to disagree that, broadly, the quality of Shyamalan’s movies have followed a distinctly downward trajectory. So that being said, hands up if you’re excited for “After Earth”!
Okay, so we can’t see this being anywhere near as bad as "The Last Airbender" – there are very few films that will ever be made that are anywhere near as bad as "The Last Airbender" – but even with the presence of Will Smith, we’re not expecting much. The film will see a father and son (Will and Jaden Smith) crash-land on Earth 1000 years after mankind has abandoned the planet. The father (named Cypher Raige, *sigh*) is left badly injured after the crash, and the son (Kitai Raige, *double sigh*) must travel across hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon.
The film is due in theaters on June 7, 2013, and Shyamalan has finally decided on the man to score his latest…and it must have been a difficult choice. James Newton Howard has scored the director’s previous seven features, and we imagine that it was simply down to scheduling as to whether he would be scoring this one as well. NEWS FLASH: HE IS! Howard has scored “The Hunger Games,” “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “The Bourne Legacy” this year, and it looks like "After Earth" will be his next project. So now only one question remains…will there be room alongside Howard’s music for another Jaden and Justin Bieber chart-topping tune? We damn well hope so! [Film Music Reporter]