M. Night Shyamalan teases fans that Trap is more than just a thriller-mystery, but also a concert film.
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker opened up about the concept behind his upcoming film starring Josh Hartnett in a recent interview with Empire magazine. When asked how he pitched the movie, Shyamalan responded, “What if The Silence of the Lambs happened at a Taylor Swift concert?”
Trap follows a father (Hartnett) and his teen daughter (Ariel Donoghue), who attend a pop concert by Lady Raven (Shyamalan’s daughter, Saleka Shyamalan). However, they realize they’re actually at the center of a much darker event — a police operation to capture a serial killer.
Shyamalan said the movie was partially inspired by the “twisted and funny” real-life 1985 “Operation Flagship,” a sting operation by U.S. Marshals and the DC Metropolitan Police Department, which resulted in the arrest of more than 100 wanted fugitives after they were coaxed to a stadium with free NFL tickets. The director added that his daughter’s rising music career also influenced the story.
“I directed an entire concert!” he told Empire. “And it wasn’t just a thing in the background. It’s equally important. There is no pretend concert going on. I love the idea of cinema as windows within windows. One of the reasons to come see the movie at the movie theater is because there’s literally a real concert that you can see nowhere except in that movie.”
The Knock at the Cabin director-writer explained that he wanted the overall film to be an original and unique experience for viewers.
“I really do believe in the original movie,” Shyamalan added. “I want the industry to move towards more original storytelling. I think audiences would really like it. Look, I know there’s safety in IP. But it’s really important that we come to the movies and see something we’ve never seen before. I’ll keep fighting for that.”
Trap, from Warner Bros. Pictures, hits theaters on Aug. 9.