Why Shyamalan’s Lady sank at BO

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New York: Indian-American filmmaker M Night Shyamalan is known for his gripping thrillers - from The Sixth Sense to The Village.

But his latest - Lady in the Water - seems to have given the box office a fright and left his fans cold.

The movie's title proved a handy stick for critics to beat Lady in the Water with - advance reviews had savaged the film, calling it ludicrous and all wet, and predicting it would sink at the box office.

Sure enough, it opened at No. 3 and took in only $18 million on the opening weekend, the worst-ever start for a Shyamalan film.

“It's a very bizarre story, it really was out there. And I think a lot of fans and a lot of critics thought that this is not the kind of movie that they wanted,” Editor, boxofficeguru.com, Gitesh Pandya says.

Shyamalan didn't endear himself by leaving his original studio Disney in a huff and moving to Warner Brothers for this film, and then griping about Disney executives in a book on the making of the movie.

And the Indian American filmmaker, who is known for his Hitchcock-like cameos, chose to take on a substantial role in Lady in the Water.

“M Night did a mediocre job as an actor. He's certainly not a professional actor. This year, with the American Express commercial, and now with Lady in the Water, he's getting more screen time. But I think his strongest skills like behind the camera, with writing and directing,” Pandya says.

Shyamalan's films have survived negative reviews and weak openings earlier, but experts believe Lady in the Water could struggle to make even $50 to $60 million in the US market.

It may have spooked the box office, but Shyamalan is known for the twists in his scripts and he may still surprise his fans with his next movie.