'It Was Hilarious': M. Night Shyamalan on the Real-Life Event That Inspired His New Film Trap

M. Night Shyamalan’s new project on the 2024 cinema schedule, Trapis already creating a buzz. The trailer for Trap The film centers on a father, played by Josh Hartnett, who accompanies his young daughter to a concert. Things go awry when it is discovered that the 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 storyline even more intriguing is that it appears to have been inspired by a real-life event that the filmmaker has put his own spin on.

In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, The Sixth Sense The director talked 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’s concerts and a bizarre story about a 1985 sting operation called “Operation Flagship.” Apparently, a group of fugitives were caught by being offered free NFL tickets, and they were arrested once they arrived at the game. The filmmaker found it amusing, saying:

It was hilarious. The cops were literally cheerleaders and mascots. These guys were dancing as they came in. And they all got caught. It was so twisted and funny.

The difference with Shyamalan’s film is that Hartnett’s serial killer character discovers the sting operation while he’s at the concert with his daughter. I guess the audience will have to see if he can evade the police once Trap is released in theaters. The first trailer for this film already seems to reveal Shyamalan’s famous twist, however, if we are to believe the filmmaker’s other films, there are still other surprises to come that the audience will never have anticipated.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped fans from trying to figure out where the story is going. Some have dug deep Trap trailer, trying to guess other twists which could be in store. Some have hunted Easter eggs related to his daughter’s latest film, The observers. Perhaps this connection to “Operation Flagship” could hint at other details of the film that were omitted from the trailer. This is all speculation at this point, but it shows that the teaser for Trap has already won over the public.

Shyamalan is one of the directors currently focused on making original films, and he doesn’t seem interested in diving back into cinematic IP at the moment. Much of his work is self-financed, and he’s spoken about how important it is for him to continue doing so. He illustrated his loyalty to the original film by saying:

I really believe in original film. I really believe in original film. I want the industry to move towards more original stories. I think audiences would really appreciate that. Look, I know intellectual property is a security. But it’s really important that we go to the movies and see something that we’ve never seen before. I’m going to continue to fight for that.

Not only does Shyamalan continue to make original films, but those films also continue to do well at the box office. His previous film Knock on the cabin did good business in cinemasAnd Old also opened at number one back in 2021. I hope that, Trap continues in the same vein and encourages studios to release more original projects in theaters.

You can see M. Night Shyamalan Trap when it hits theaters on August 2.