Set in 1897, "The Village" tells the story of a close-knit community that lives with the frightening knowledge that a mythical race of creatures resides in the woods around them. Filming of "The Village" will take place in and around Philadelphia.
"The Village" is directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan ( "Signs," "Unbreakable," "The Sixth Sense"). Shyamalan also produces, along with Scott Rudin ("School of Rock," an Oscar-nominee for "The Hours," "Sleepy Hollow") and Sam Mercer ("Signs," "Unbreakable," "The Sixth Sense"). Associate producer is Jose L. Rodriguez.
Joaquin Phoenix collaborated with M. Night Shyamalan previously in Touchstone Pictures' "Signs." For his role as Commodus in the critically acclaimed "Gladiator," Phoenix earned rave reviews and garnered many awards, including an Oscar nomination. Phoenix's other credits include "Buffalo Soldiers," "The Yards," "Quills," and "To Die For," among many others. Phoenix will soon be seen in Touchstone Pictures' "Ladder 49."
"The Village" marks actress Bryce Dallas Howard's feature film debut. Howard has appeared and delighted theater audiences on the New York stage in productions of "Tartuffe," "House/Garden" and others.
Adrien Brody won an Academy Award and several other prestigious award nominations for his unforgettable performance in "The Pianist." He became the youngest recipient of the Best Actor Oscar. Other screen credits include "King of the Hill," "Summer of Sam," "Liberty Heights," "The Affair of the Necklace," "The Thin Red Line" and many more. Brody can be seen in the upcoming "The Singing Detective."
William Hurt has been astounding cinema audiences for decades on film, television, and the stage. Hurt was nominated for an Oscar(R) for his compelling work in both "Broadcast News" and "Children of a Lesser God," and won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in "Kiss of the Spider Woman." Some of many of Hurt's accomplished credits include "Altered States," "Body Heat," "The Big Chill," "Eyewitness," "Gorky Park," "Alice," "I Love You To Death," "The Accidental Tourist," "Smoke," "Michael," "A.I.," "Tuck Everlasting," "Sunshine," and "Rare Birds."
Sigourney Weaver made her motion picture debut in the hugely successful blockbuster "Alien," and reprised the role of Warrant Officer Ripley in "Aliens," for which she earned a Best Actress Academy Award nomination; "Aliens 3," and "Alien Resurrection." Weaver has created a host of memorable characters, both dramatic and comic, in such films as "Ghostbusters," "The Year of Living Dangerously," "Gorillas in the Mist" (Oscar nomination), "Working Girl" (Oscar nomination), and "Dave." Other credits include "Tadpole," "Death and the Maiden," "Copycat," "The Ice Storm," "Galaxy Quest," "A Map of the World," and "Heartbreakers," among many others.
Shyamalan's creative team includes Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins ("Intolerable Cruelty," "A Beautiful Mind," "The Man Who Wasn't There"), production designer Tom Foden ("Matchstick Men," "One Hour Photo"), Oscar-winning costumer designer Ann Roth ("Cold Mountain," "Signs," "The English Patient"), and editor Christopher Tellefsen ("The Human Stain," "Changing Lanes"). Oscar-nominated composer James Newton Howard (the upcoming "Peter Pan") re-teams with Shyamalan after working previously with him on "Signs," "Unbreakable," and "The Sixth Sense."
"The Village" is scheduled for release in August 2004.
