The Village tops the box office charts

Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan's new scary movie "The Village" topped the weekend box office in North America with ticket sales of $50.8 million, delivering a twist more surprising than the one in the film. Industry observers and executives at the film's backer, Walt Disney Co., had expected it to open in the $40 million range. Shyamalan's previous effort, "Signs," boosted by the star power of Mel Gibson, opened at $60 million in August2002 and finished with $228 million. With a cast that includes Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt and newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard, "The Village" relied primarily on the draw of 33-year-old Shyamalan, the Indian-born auteur best known for the 1999 film "The Sixth Sense."

Source CNS