M. Night Shyamalan

M. Night Shyamalan was hailed as the next Spielberg after The Sixth Sense grossed $672 million on a $40 million budget, but the crown rusted fast. His twist formula collapsed with The Happening, which earned a 17% Rotten Tomatoes score, 48 points lower than the average thriller's 65%. The Last Airbender cost $150 million and earned only $319 million, a 47% return lagging behind #3 Michael Bay's similar IP adaptation. After Earth sank with an 11% score, proving his occasional comebacks like Split cannot erase a 90% failure rate. Shyamalan peaked at age 29, embodying overrated hype more than nearly any director here.