‘It Was Hilarious’: M. Night Shyamalan Discussed The Wild Real-Life Event That Inspired His New Movie Trap
M. Night Shyamalan’s new project on the 2024 movie schedule, Trap, is already generating buzz. The trailer for Trap depicts a dad, played by Josh Hartnett, accompanying his young daughter to a concert. Things go awry when it’s revealed that the entire concert is actually a sting operation. The twist? Hartnett’s character is actually the serial killer the police are trying to catch. What makes this an even more intriguing premise is that it was apparently inspired by a real-life event that the filmmaker put his own spin on.
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, The Sixth Sense director opened up about his new film, and why he chose to set his thriller at a concert. Shyamalan explained that he had several inspirations: his daughter’s budding pop star career, the fanfare at Taylor Swift concerts, and a bizarre story of a sting operation called ‘Operation Flagship’ from 1985. Apparently, a bunch of fugitives were caught by being offered free NFL tickets, and they were arrested once they arrived at the game. The filmmaker found this humorous, saying:
It was hilarious. 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 difference with Shyamalan’s movie, however, is that Hartnett’s serial killer character finds out about the sting operation while he’s at the concert with his daughter. I guess the audience will have to see if he is able to avoid the police once Trap is released in theaters. The first trailer for this movie seems to reveal the famous Shyamalan-twist already, however, if the filmmaker’s other movies are any indication, there are more surprises to come that the audience will never anticipate.
Of course, this hasn’t stopped fans from trying to figure out where the story is going. Some have delved deep into the Trap trailer, trying to guess other twists that might be in store. Some have hunted for easter eggs that connect to his daughter’s latest film, The Watchers. Maybe this ‘Operation Flagship’ connection could allude to more details from the film that were left out of the trailer. This is all speculation right now, but it shows that the teaser for Trap already has audiences hooked.
Shyamalan is one of the directors right now committed to making original movies, and he doesn’t seem interested in dipping his toe back into cinematic IP at the moment. A lot of his work is self-funded, and he explained how important it was for him to continue doing so. He illustrated his loyalty to the original movie by saying:
I really do believe in the original movie. I really do believe in the original movie. 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.
Not only is Shyamalan still making original films, but these movies are also still doing well at the box office. His previous film Knock at the Cabin did solid business in theaters, and Old also opened at number one back in 2021. Hopefully, Trap continues the same streak and encourages studios to release more original projects in theaters.
You can see M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap when it hits cinemas on August 2nd.
