'Silence of the Lambs at a Taylor Swift Concert': M. Night Shyamalan's New Serial Killer Film Had a Simple Pitch
M. Night Shyamalan has been behind many thrillers with a supernatural twist, but his upcoming mystery thriller had a very simple premise. The director explained that he drew inspiration from his close bond with his daughters with a dark twist.
Per Empire, M. Night Shyamalan described his film upcoming film Trap as fiction meets real life. The film stars Josh Hartnett as a serial killer trapped at a pop concert with his daughter. While initially believing this was "the place to be" during a Lady Raven concert (played by Shyamalan’s own daughter, Saleka), the film turns out to be a police operation meant to capture a serial killer known as The Butcher.
Longlegs
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“What if The Silence of the Lambs happened at a Taylor Swift concert?” M. Night Shyamalan briefly explained his pitch for his upcoming film. The upcoming thriller also had a real inspiration, Operation Flagship from 1985, an operation where several fugitives were offered free NFL tickets and a chance to win a trip to the Super Bowl. “It was hilarious,” Shyamalan continued. “The cops were literally cheerleaders and mascots. These guys were dancing as they came in. And they were all caught. It was so twisted and funny.”
The director went all in for the pop concert, too. “I directed an entire concert!” he revealed. “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.”
Nicolas Cage with a Longlegs background
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Josh Hartnett in Trap
M. Night Shyamalan Explained His Interest in Creating Original Films
There has been a lot of conversation about remakes, reboots, and banking on famous IPs. There are multiple studios who bet on established IPs to make a sure profit, and it sometimes pays off, like Disney's recent hit with Inside Out 2. However, there is also a desire for original storytelling, and M. Night Shyamalan is one of them. The director is best known for films like 1999's The Sixth Sense, 2000's Unbreakable, 2002's Signs, and 2023's Knock at the Cabin.
“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 debuts in theaters on Aug. 9, 2024.
Source: Empire
Trap 2024 Film Poster
Trap
Director M. Night ShyamalanRelease Date August 9, 2024Cast Kaitlyn Dallan, Ty Pravong, Peter D'Souza, Jonathan Langdon, Malik Jubal, Saleka Shyamalan, Vanessa Smythe, Marnie McPhail, Josh Hartnett, Hayley MillsWriters M. Night ShyamalanMain Genre Thriller