Was 'The Village' Shymalan or Haddix?

[BookStop]

My daughter just finished reading a book, called Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, which sounds very similar to the M.Night Shymalan movie. Here's the back cover:

Jessie lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton, Indiana, in 1840 - or so she believes. When diphtheria strikes the village and the children of Clifton start dying, Jessie's mother reveals a shocking secret - it's actually 1996, and they are living in a reconstructed village that serves as a tourist site. In the world outside, medicine exists that can cure the dread disease, and Jessie's mother is sending her on a dangerous mission to bring back help.

Ok - so it's not exactly like Shymalan's version, but really darned close. Too close?

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

Depends which came out first I guess.
It wouldn't surprise me if he ripped it off - most films take inspiration from somewhere. You'd probably have to see how popular/well known the novel was prior to the movie to really prove that he'd basically plagarised it.

He has at least go the "creatures" in the forest as something which wasn't in the book?
It was a good idea too otherwise what's to stop the villagers going exploring and discovering the Interstate?

 

[Lacedaemonian]

Too damned close!! Bloody hack. He is as bad as Dean Brown. (Not a typo)

 

[BookStop]

Ah - Apparently this was news I missed. I wonder whatever became of it.

http://news.elitestv.com/pub/2004/Aug/EEN411ce987b6a69.html