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M. Night Shyamalan's New Sci-Fi Movie Now Being Called 'After Earth'

by Alex Billington
December 2, 2011
Source: Twitter

If I recall, I'm pretty sure "After Earth" is exactly what we thought the letters "A.E." stood for in the original title, so it's no surprise they do. Thanks to a tip from SlashFilm, the new film from M. Night Shyamalan, a sci-fi thriller first titled One Thousand A.E. set to star father/son Will & Jaden Smith, is now being referred to as simply After Earth. The new title comes from tweets written by writer Gary Whitta (@garywhitta) and Shyamalan, who recently joined Twitter (@MNightShyamalan) as well. "9 weeks out from shooting After Earth," he wrote yesterday. So, basically this is something that's set 1000 Years After [We Left] Earth.

If that doesn't shed some light on the story within this, then let's keep going. The original logline for this only states: "After a crash landing, a father and son explore an alien planet." But as of just last month, we know that it's actually "about what happens when a young boy and his father’s spaceship crash lands on Earth one thousand years after humans abandoned it." That all makes sense, in regards to the title After Earth and this father/son returning "after Earth" has been abandoned for 1000 years. If you're interested in Shyamalan's inspiration for this, he tweeted about some of it recently: "Looking at paintings/photos to find the tone of the film. Andrew Wyeth paintings always inspire me." You can visit his official website here.

Since our original post on One Thousand A.E. years ago said it was an "ultra clandestine sci-fi project", we haven't uncovered many details since. But it sounds like this may indeed just be about a father and son who explore an alien planet after crash landing there, probably discovering along the way that it was Earth all along. ("Damn you all to hell!") Shyamalan has been hard at work in pre-production recently, including storyboarding. "I draw out every shot on my films. Just finished the second pass of them for After Earth. 676 shots! Four months of work." You can follow him on Twitter for more, and we'll keep an eye out, too.

Overbrook Entertainment and Columbia Pictures are developing After Earth, set to star Will & Jaden Smith. Our last update said that Oscar winning writer Stephen Gaghan (Rules of Engagement, Traffic, The Alamo, Syriana) was taking a pass at the original script written by Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli). It already has a June 7th, 2013 release date scheduled and shooting starts, as M. Night says, in 9 more weeks, early 2012.

Filed under Hype, Movie News, Opinions, SciFi

From around the web:

Josh Taylor

I can't wait to see what the twist is? /S Seriously though I dislike this man very much. He hasn't made a decent film since unbreakable and I am starting to think he won't be able to again. I see this new movie as a last chance until he becomes another crappy commercial director who has no redeeming qualities.
- Skymazterj
  
  At least Devil was decent, he should not direct anymore... i think he would be a great producer
  - Anonymous
    
    He directed DEVIL? I thought he only produced that one....gotta double check.
- Anonymous
  
  Well...at least he's not writing this one, Josh. That certainly seemed to be a major problem with the films where he was both the writer and director--see THE LAST AIRBENDER and THE HAPPENING, f'r instance. So now, he's just directing from someone's script--a script that was developed by two much, much better writers.
Tunptl

This is man that presented me with a watered down, convoluted, inaccurate and plain foolish adaptation of my one of favourite cartoons/anime... his original stuff doesn't fill me with hope either =/
Orencohen14

Sounds similar to the planet of the apes story...
Chris Batty

M. Night is still directing...? Waste of time and money. He's over rated. His Last Air Bender showed what he's made of now. Easy pass.
- Anonymous
  
  Agreed. He completely ruined a fantastic series, and pretty much destroyed any chance it would get a proper treatment.
Anonymous

I don't mean to be a troll or anything, but why is he still being paid to make movies? Don't get me wrong, I loved Sixth Sense, earned a solid 'meh' for Unbreakable and The Village, but the rest were absolute garbage, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone.
- Anonymous
  
  People say the same thing about Michael Bay....
  - Anonymous
    
    Maybe, but say what you will about Bay, the man brings in the $, and you have to admit, the worst Bay movie is better than Lady in the Water or The Happening.
    - Anonymous
      
      I can't argue with that--it is very true.
Lagoya

Shaymalayamamalyamayan = shit
Johnah1435

They crash land on Earth 1000 years after Civilization One but 1000 years before "us"
Deathstar

Sounds pretty crappy to be honest. Whitta is a hack and M. Knight hasn't made a good film since Unbreakable. Not holding much faith for this to be any good.
happy camper

I wish the twist was its gonna be his last movie. i will NEVER watch anything he dose ever again. He should just go over to Bollywood.
- Jason
  
  Wow, way to inject some racism into this.
- Anonymous
  
  your comment was less "I dislike this man's work" and more "I HATE FOREIGNERS AND THEIR SILLY DIFFERENT VIEWS AND BELIEFS"
- Anonymous
  
  Wow. As someone who's of Indian descent, I will very kindly tell you to go fuck yourself. You hate the man's work, fine. There was no fucking need for your last sentence. Fucking douchebag.
  - happy camper
    
    lol you people are all thin skinned, i think he could do good over in Bollywood, he has some talent and could help film makers over there. Bollywood has lots of money and is a big industry. get a grip.
    - Anonymous
      
      "Thin-skinned"? No, just fucking sick and tired of idiots like you who drop nonsense like this out of the side of your mouth, proving that you have no damned clue what you're talking about. And once again, go fuck yourself.
    - Batman
      
      I think he should go to india. i agree. Bollywood is not only industry there only 25% of films are from there rest are from kollywood, tollywood or ..........woood. What country it copies everything we do even the names
Anonymous

"about what happens when a young boy and his father’s spaceship crash lands on Earth one thousand years after humans abandoned it." Uhh... Wall-A.E. anyone?
- http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington
  
  Uh, are you saying they are going to encounter Wall-E?
  - Lebowski
    
    Nah, he's saying that Shyamalan's ideas are lazy and derivative.
Anonymous

If history is anything to go by, it's going to be more like an "after birth"
David Banner

Hm...issnt there an animated movie from a decade ago called "A.E" with a similar plot??
- Anonymous
  
  Yep, Titan A.E. by Don Bluth, an animation director, Disney's rival for the 80s and 90s before Pixar beat down the mouse house. His best know works are The Secret of NIMN, An American Tale and The Land Before Time. Titan A.E. was mediocre though, and starred Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore and Bill Pullman.
  - KamilH
    
    Disney owns Pixar now… ironically
Egruppert

love M. Nights movies. looking forward to the next one. i find you morons who have nothing better to do then to cut the man up are nothing more then just that.
http://www.facebook.com/CoryLeeLind Cory Lind

After the travesty that was The Last Airbender i will never give this man my hard earned money again
Egruppert

I don't waste my time thinking about things i don't like. wow, what a waist of time.
- http://twitter.com/AgentKidSociety Agent Kid Society
  
  "waist" of time, huh?! So cool...
MovieKing

I cant wait not to see it
TheLaughingMan

Bring it Shyamalan,let the haters hate.So he has had a few misses,its not like every movie he makes is gonna blow your mind lol its just what people expect from him.At least he isn't afraid to actually take a chance and try something different.
- Anonymous
  
  Well...you have a point there. After all, it shocks people when they find out that Alfred Hitchcock's later films were pummeled by the critics of the day who often wondered if he'd lost it or not. I mean, it is okay to have some concerns if this film will turn out right, but since he's not writing it, who knows, it might work, it might not.
  - Charles
    
    Probably not a good idea to mention Hitchcock and M. Night in the same sentence. They have absolutely nothing in common.
    - Anonymous
      
      Yeesh! Good point, Charles. I will certainly not do that again.
Alien2s4

Seriously, The Last Airbender took me 3 days to finish. I could have sworn it was a student film just with really good VFX.
- Anonymous
  
  I avoided it for the longest time...then it came onto Netflix, and I said, what the heck. I am sorry I ever tried to make it through...I think I got as far as 3/4 of the way before just turning it off in disgust. How he could MANGLE such great source material is beyond me! The original, animated series is truly outstanding...and the live action adaptation is simply unwatchable. Bad casting, bad acting, terrible simplification of the plot, and not enough Appa and Momo. Someone stick a fork in M. Knight, he is done!
Xscsdfsd

his first 3 movies were outstanding. signs was a masterpeice, one of the best sci-fi thrillers i've seen. the village was cute. and then something happend to him, each movie was more borring then the previous. it wasn't like than in the beginning of his career, and he directed and wrote them combine. anyway, good luck with the new project. will smith is a legend.
rennmaxbeta

Who keeps bankrolling that fool? Will audiences still LOL when they see his name on a trailer? Does the poster have "from the director of The Sixth Sense" because he hasn't made a decent movie since anyone can remember?
Anonymous

Everyone seems so childish and immature here, and no one has the credibility to put this man down; let’s take a look at your work and make some comments. Just like anything else…….DON’T WATCH and I’m sure we won’t miss you at the theater. I simply love his work and his ideas. From the outside looking in, I have to wonder why can’t some of you guys explain what and how you would do it differently. So I just consider the source.
- http://twitter.com/AgentKidSociety Agent Kid Society
  
  Derp!
- Nick
  
  Amen! M. Night is one of my favorite directors and artists of all time.
- Jariah92005
  
  Everyones entitled to their opinions especially when our dollars are funding their lifestyles. Cant take some oppossing viewpoints, then being any kind of an artist is not what you should pursue. Perhaps you should change your handle from TheOpenMind to TheHypocrite.
Timnimbus

Does anyone know if he will continue the Avatar Last Air Bender series?
Lightandink

Am in costa rica right now in town La Fortuna, near lake arenal : the film is partly being shot there (apparently 25 min worth of the movie). Might try to sneak in tomorrow!
Nick

I agree with the only open mind here, accurately named "the open mind." M. Night Shyamalan is an extremely talented individual who has given the world films which are above and beyond the call of duty. They break the mold, and they are full of heart. Maybe "the Last Airbender" and "the Happening" were not his best work, but they are miles beyond a lot of the horseshit that is produced on the Hollywood factory-line. This is what happens when somebody is actually a genius; they get chastised and rejected, because people don't know what they're seeing. Recall the story of Vincent Van Gogh. People hated his paintings while he was alive. It was not until he died that he slowly became one of the most renowned painters of all time. M. Night is in good company. There is no call to hate him, and I for one am extremely excited to see his movie.
Jariah92005

Um, Titan A.E., what happened to originality? Im just reminded of that animation film I absolutely loved. change the title or comparisons will be inevitable. I dunno, sounds kinda emo and boring. Father and son, alien planet alone, Dennis Quaids film Enemy Mine will probably remain the superior standard next to this assuredly big budgeted vanity project.