“I directed an entire concert!”: M. Night Shyamalan Uses Taylor Swift To Pitch His New Film ‘Trap’ as He Reveals the Real-life Inspiration Behind the Thriller
There seems to be an unending supply of creative and innovative filmmaking ideas in directors like M. Night Shyamalan. Tirelessly, the filmmaker has been on a journey to redefine high-concept cinema and create art that resonates with the viewers.
His upcoming thriller feature is titled Trap and features a father-daughter duo that goes to a concert. However, things soon take a darker turn when the dad’s real identity as a serial killer is threatened to be exposed and he stands in danger of getting arrested.
M. Night Shyamalan breaks down Trap as The Silence of the Lambs meets Taylor Swift
If asked to define his upcoming thriller movie Trap in one sentence, director M. Night Shyamalan claims, “What if The Silence Of The Lambs happened at a Taylor Swift concert?”
Seems like Shyamalan has tried to emulate a Taylor Swift concert in his movie, ensuring Swifties in particular feel pulled towards the flick. Adding more about the plot and the overall themes in the movie, Shyamalan claims that he aspired to give a scary perspective to Alfred Hitchcock-style stories. He said to Empire,
I directed an entire concert! 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 theatre is because there’s literally a real concert that you can see nowhere except in that movie.
Keeping things authentic even in fiction is something Shyamalan excels at. His fans need no introduction to his perfectionist and creative outlook that ensures most of his projects receive limitless success. Starring Josh Hartnett as the father and Ariel Donoghue as the daughter, Trap is set to be an adventurous ride as the serial killer tries to elude his possible captors without putting his daughter in harm’s way.
Real-Life Inspiration Behind Trap
A significant historical event actually inspired the plot and narrative of Shyamalan’s upcoming movie Trap. in December 1985, the United States Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C together conducted a secret operation titled Operation Flagship to capture 101 fugitives in a very smart move.
They were lured to the Washington Convention Center in lieu of tickets to watch the Super Bowl. Each and every fugitive came to the Center on their own accord and was eventually arrested by the security teams. Over 166 security personnel from the government service were involved in the covert mission. In line with the movie Trap, it seems like the serial killer aka The Butcher is also going to fall into a similar trap set for his arrest. Shyamalan further quipped about Operation Flagship and its inspiration in Trap,
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.
Shyamalan’s thriller movie Trap is set to release on November 15, 2024.
