Trap is an upcoming American psychological thriller film written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan. The film stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, and Alison Pill. It is scheduled to be released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on August 2, 2024.
| Trap | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | M. Night Shyamalan |
| Written by | M. Night Shyamalan |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Sayombhu Mukdeeprom |
| Edited by | Noëmi Preiswerk |
| Music by | Herdís Stefánsdóttir |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Premise
Cooper, a serial killer, dubbed "The Butcher", joins his daughter at a concert for pop star Lady Raven, an event he realizes is a trap set by police to catch him.[1]
Cast
- Josh Hartnett as Cooper
- Ariel Donoghue as Riley
- Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven
- Hayley Mills
- Alison Pill
- Marnie McPhail
- Vanessa Smythe
Production
M. Night Shyamalan's Trap was inspired in part by Operation Flagship, a sting operation in which disguised law enforcement arrested 101 wanted fugitives at a convention center, having invited them under the pretense of gifting them free NFL tickets.[2] The film marks Shyamalan's departure from Universal Pictures, which distributed five consecutive films of his, starting with The Visit in 2015. In October 2022, Universal announced the then-untitled film.[3] The title was revealed in February 2023, as Shyamalan entered a first-look deal with competing studio Warner Bros. Pictures.[4] He produced with Marc Bienstock and Ashwin Rajan,[5] and pitched the film as setting The Silence of the Lambs (1991) at a Taylor Swift concert, in reference to her Eras Tour.[2]
Principal photography was scheduled to begin in Cincinnati, Ohio, in August 2023, where it would have received over $9 million in tax credits from the state to film there.[6][7] Production relocated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and was granted, on September 18, 2023, an interim agreement to film during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[8][9][10] Under the working title Good Grades, filming reportedly occurred from October 16 to December 8, 2023.[11][8] The film's pop concert venue, known as "Tanaka Arena," was filmed inside FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, with Rogers Centre used as the venue's exterior.[12] The production obtained access to the 20,000-seat arena for two months because it was undergoing renovations.[13]
Shyamalan's daughter, Saleka, stars as Lady Raven, the singer whose concert the characters attend. She wrote fourteen songs for the film, designed diegetically to match the action onscreen, while her father wrote the script.[14] Saleka previously collaborated with her father by contributing to the soundtracks for the film Old (2021) and the series Servant.[15][16] Shyamalan was inspired to incorporate musical elements by visiting Saleka on tour and by Prince's musical film Purple Rain (1984).[17][18] Saleka also noted that they grew up watching Bollywood cinema, in which music often plays a key role in the storytelling. She described Trap as a "Shyamalan American version of a Bollywood movie that is grounded and the songs make sense — not necessarily a musical, but completely music-centric." Cora Kozaris was the choreographer for the songs performed on stage in the film.[15] Trap was released the same year as The Watchers, the directorial debut of Saleka's sister, Ishana Night Shyamalan; a poster for The Watchers appears in the background of a scene in Trap. Saleka and Ishana Shyamalan worked on their respective films on their family's property in Pennsylvania. Saleka operated in a recording studio while Ishana mixed her film next door.[19] Herdís Stefánsdóttir composed the score independently from Saleka. Columbia Records will release the soundtrack.[15]
Release
Trap is scheduled to be released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on August 2, 2024. It is the second film of Shyamalan's to be distributed by the studio after Lady in the Water (2006),[20][21] and marks the filmmaker's departure from Universal Pictures, which distributed five consecutive films of his. Universal initially scheduled the film's release for April 5, 2024.[3] In 2023, Warner Bros. acquired and pushed the film to August 2, 2024.[22] In 2024, they postponed it to August 9,[23] and later brought it forward a week to August 2 again.[20]
References
- ^ Dunn, Jack; Riley, Jenelle (April 18, 2024). "Trap Trailer: M. Night Shyamalan's New Thriller Casts Josh Hartnett as a Serial Killer at a Pop Star's Concert". Variety. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Travis, Ben (July 1, 2024). "M. Night Shyamalan Pitched Trap As 'Silence Of The Lambs At A Taylor Swift Concert' – Exclusive Image". Empire. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 7, 2022). "New M. Night Shyamalan Thriller Dated By Universal For 2024". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 16, 2023). "M. Night Shyamalan Signs Multi-Year First-Look Deal at Warner Bros, Sets Trap At Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Complex, Valerie; Grober, Matt (April 18, 2024). "Trap Trailer: Josh Hartnett Gets Cornered At A Concert In M. Night Shyamalan Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ "State of Ohio Awards $36 Million in Motion Picture Tax Credits". Ohio Department of Development. July 31, 2023. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Rajput, Priyanca (September 5, 2023). "Ishana Shyamalan's debut feature The Watchers wraps in Dublin". KFTV.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ a b "Josh Hartnett and Saleka to Star in M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Film (Exclusive)". Film Updates. October 26, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Landau, Jack (April 18, 2024). "Major movie shot largely at Toronto's Rogers Centre described as 'bizarre' by star". blogTO. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ "Productions Approved and Signed to Interim Agreements – Members May Work on These" (PDF). SAG-AFTRA. December 3, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "Current Productions - Toronto". Toronto Film and Television Office. August 7, 2017. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ Landau, Jack (April 18, 2024). "A new major movie was just filmed at Blue Jays' Rogers Centre". Daily Hive. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Radish, Christina (April 18, 2024). "M. Night Shyamalan Promises Wild Surprises for His Josh Hartnett Concert Thriller Trap". Collider. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Ray, Jenelle (April 22, 2024). "M. Night Shyamalan and Daughter Ishana Night Tease 'Unease' and 'Suspense' With Dual Thrillers Trap and The Watchers". Variety. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c Miller, Liz Shannon (June 7, 2024). "Saleka Explains Her Role as Lady Raven in M. Night Shyamalan's Trap, and Releases First Single". Consequence. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ El-Mahmoud, Sarah (April 18, 2024). "I Talked To M. Night Shyamalan About Setting A Horror Movie At A Pop Singer's Show, And As A Frequent Concertgoer, I'm Intrigued". CinemaBlend. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Drew (April 18, 2024). "M. Night Shyamalan Explains Why His Trap Trailer Seemingly Gives Away the Film's Twist". TheWrap. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Garner, Glenn (June 8, 2024). "M. Night Shyamalan's Daughters Discuss 'Privilege' Of Following Their Own Passions Amid Big Screen Debuts With Dad". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Zuckerman, Esther (June 5, 2024). "The Shyamalans: A Family That Scares Together". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ a b Grobar, Matt (June 13, 2024). "Warner Bros Pushes Up Release Date For Trap, Dates Four Other Projects". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Dela Paz, Maggie (April 20, 2024). "Trap: M. Night Shyamalan Reveals the Inspiration Behind His New Thriller". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (February 16, 2023). "M. Night Shyamalan Departs Universal for Warner Bros. First-Look Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 8, 2024). "M. Night Shyamalan's Trap To Spring On New Release Date – CinemaCon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
