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Will Shyamalan miss an Oscar?

A P Kamath

When Manoj Night Shyamalan's box-office juggernaut, The Sixth Sense (worldwide earnings $ 645 million and climbing) was nominated for six Oscars, including the best picture and best director, many Hollywood observers thought it would not be able to stand the challenge of American Beauty, a social satire directed by the first-time director, Sam Mendes. Beauty has grossed a strong $ 205 million worldwide.

But Hollywood's insiders thought The Sixth Sense stood a good chance in the best supporting actor and best screenplay categories.

However, the recent awards by the crafts guilds, are knocking out those chances. Beauty director Mendes won the Directors Guild of America award on Saturday and the Writers Guild of America's original screenplay award went to Alan Ball for the same movie. Shyamalan was in the running in both categories.

Only four previous 51 DGA honorees have failed to win the Academy award. Mendes also won the Golden Globe for direction.

Michael Caine, who plays an ether-addicted doctor running an orphanage, won the best supporting actor citation for his work in Cider House Rules, the little-heralded movie which has picked up box-office momentum after seven Oscar nominations and is on its way to earn $ 50 million at the domestic box-office. He beat, among others, Haley Joel Osment, the child actor who gave a chilling performance in The Sixth Sense.

Caine and Osment are the real rivals for the best supporting actor trophy at the Oscars on March 26. Osment has received fulsome praise from the critics, so has Caine. Osment has not been able to beat Caine at any of the other award contests, and his chances of winning the Academy award seem to be receding.

"Night might have to go home with the satisfaction that his film was nominated for six Oscars -- and it is one of the biggest hits of all times," says one Hollywood insider.

"The very fact that it was nominated in major categories is commendable. Often the most popular films of the year are ignored by the Academy voters."

Meanwhile, Bruce Willis has earned nearly $ 100 million from the backend deal with the producers of The Sixth Sense, Hollywood press says. Willis, who usually gets about $ 20 million per film, settled for half his price but with a lucrative backend deal inked in his agreement. Because he cut his fee, The Sixth Sense was made for about $ 40 million, well below the $ 60 million Hollywood average.

With The Sixth Sense still earning about $ 10 million per week globally, he could earn some more millions.

Shyamalan received $ 5 million to write and direct the film. There is no report about a backend deal. But for his new project, for which he received $ 10 million to write and direct, he has reportedly received a generous backend offer.

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