M. Night Shyamalan, known for his scary movies with a twist, is putting a twist on his filmography by directing Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. Unlike his other horror flicks, Shyamalan will need to keep this one PG. (BTW – The Happening is rated R). He is helming the project because he is attracted to the story filled with cultural differences, martial arts, and larger topics like genocide.

Scheduled for release July 2, 2010, Avatar:The Last Airbender is set to be the first film in a trilogy. This could be a Harry Potter-like film in the making as the budget for the CGI special effects for the trilogy is slated at a reported $250 million. However, M. Night Shyamalan is only committed to direct the first film. Shyamalan expects the first “Airbender” to be about two hours long. He’s in the middle of casting young actors now and begin shooting in Greenland and Vietnam.

Here’s a little clip of the Nickelodeon’s Avatar:The Last Airbender