After Strong U.S. Opening, 'Happening' Soon to Underwhelm en Español
Congratulations go out this morning to M. Night Shyamalan and his beleageured backers at 20th Century Fox, who weathered brutal buzz and worse reviews to nurse The Happening to an impressive $30.5 million opening. We've never been happier to underestimate a film's box-office juice — especially when Manoj's Folly needs all the support it can get before heading on the road. First stops: Mexico and Korea, where the film's marketing materials now include some of those countries' respective national landmarks among the decimated landscapes:
Fox Mexico director Juan Carlos Lazo said the strategy is generating buzz in the heat of the summer blockbuster season, as Happening gears up to compete against such Hollywood tentpoles as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Incredible Hulk. ...
But might some viewers be misled by the iconographic Mexican imagery?
"We have gotten questions if some scenes were filmed here, but it's clear that this is a foreign film when one sees the names of the director and Mark Wahlberg on the poster," Lazo said.
Moreover, with the Spanish-language title change El Fin de Los Tiempos, the poster offers a fantastic array of new defacement options — good-bye The Crapening, hello Film Ed's Penis Too. We'll try to have an appropriately puerile Korean analog as well by the end of the day.