M. Night Shyamalan's Most Shocking 25-Year-Old Reveal Almost Didn't Happen

Summary M. Night Shyamalan's iconic "I see dead people" scene in The Sixth Sense almost didn't happen due to producer concerns.

A producer felt the line was too revealing, but test audiences didn't deduce the big twist, leading to the scene remaining.

Changing the scene could have altered the movie's impact, as it helped the audience understand Cole better without spoiling the major twist.

M. Night Shyamalan has become best known for the shocking reveals and plot twists in his movies, but his most shocking and famous reveal almost didn’t happen. M. Night Shyamalan has become one of the most popular but also divisive filmmakers of his generation, though there’s still a lot of anticipation around his projects every time he announces a new one. Shyamalan’s trademark are supernatural plots and big reveals that often lead to plot twists, usually during the third act of the story, though not all of them have had the desired impact on the audience.

Shyamalan made his directorial debut in 1992 with Praying with Anger, but he became a widely known name (and all eyes have been set on his works since then) with The Sixth Sense. Released in 1999, The Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller with a supernatural tone that follows child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), who, after a traumatic experience with a former patient, begins working with nine-year-old Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment). The Sixth Sense has one of the most famous scenes in horror as well as an unforgettable plot twist, but the former almost didn’t happen.

Related The Sixth Sense Ending Explained M. Night Shyamalan's 1999 thriller The Sixth Sense is beloved for its performances and surprising twist, and the ending is emotional and meaningful.

The Sixth Sense’s “I See Dead People” Scene Was Almost Changed

A Producer Of The Sixth Sense Wasn’t On Board With The Iconic Line

Cole is a shy, quiet, and solitary boy who is bullied at school and whose mother struggles to connect with him. Cole shows signs of physical harm that worry his mother, and after a traumatic moment at a birthday party, Cole confides to Malcolm that he sees dead people. Cole explains that they walk around among the living, unaware that they are dead, leading Malcolm to believe Cole is schizophrenic, but he eventually realizes Cole is telling the truth. Cole’s confession with the iconic line “I see dead people” has become ingrained in pop culture, but the producers weren’t initially on board with it.

Producer Frank Marshall felt that Cole’s “I see dead people” line was too much of a hint and the audience would immediately deduce that big twist about Malcolm.

In the “Rules and Clues” featurette on The Sixth Sense DVD, producer Frank Marshall revealed he initially wanted the scene to be changed. Marshall felt that Cole’s “I see dead people” line was too much of a hint and the audience would immediately deduce that big twist about Malcolm. However, after test screen audiences didn’t guess The Sixth Sense’s biggest twist with Cole’s confession, the scene was left intact, and it ended up becoming one of the movie’s most memorable and recognizable scenes.

Why Changing The Sixth Sense’s “I See Dead People” Scene Would Have Ruined The Movie

The Scene Was Key To The Sixth Sense’s Impact

Though Marshall didn’t explain how the “I see dead people” scene would have been changed, it surely wouldn’t have had the same impact.

The Sixth Sense stands as one of M. Night Shyamalan’s best works, and it’s generally considered to be the one with the best plot twist and reveal. Though Marshall didn’t explain how the “I see dead people” scene would have been changed, it surely wouldn’t have had the same impact. Osment’s delivery of the line perfectly shows how scared Cole was of not just this disturbing ability but also of sharing it with Malcolm, knowing there was a risk that he wouldn’t believe him.

The scene is also key for the audience to understand Cole a lot better, and the big Malcolm twist can’t really be deduced just by it, as The Sixth Sense leaves very subtle hints at it before and after that are noticed after rewatching. Altering the scene in any way could have risked giving Malcolm’s twist away or not giving clarity to what happens to Cole, thus affecting The Sixth Sense’s impact and legacy.