M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Visit’ set for 2015 release from Universal

M. Night Shyamalan’s low-budget thriller “The Visit” has been acquired by Universal Pictures and is scheduled to hit theaters Sept. 11.

Said to be a return to Shyamalan’s roots, the next movie from the filmmaker behind “The Sixth Sense” and “Unbreakable” tells the story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip, only to discover that the elderly couple are engaged in something sinister.

With “The Visit,” writer-director-producer Shyamalan will be looking to rebound from a string of films that have been thrashed by critics and have underperformed at the domestic box office (though many fared better overseas), including “After Earth,” “The Last Airbender” and “Lady in the Water.”

Joining Shyamalan in producing are low-budget horror maestro Jason Blum (of the “Paranormal Activity,” “The Purge” and “Insidious” series) and Mark Bienstock.

In addition to announcing a release date for “The Visit,” Universal also retitled the horror movie “Cybernatural” as “Unfriended” and moved its release back one week, to April 17.

Directed by Levan Gabriadze from a script by Nelson Greaves, “Unfriended” unfolds over a teenager’s computer screen as she and her friends are stalked by an unseen figure. Producers are Timur Bekmambetov, Greaves and Blum.

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