M Night Shyamalan Reveals Real-Life Inspiration Behind Trap’s Twist

M Night Shyamalan has revealed the real-life inspiration behind his latest film.

In Trap, Josh Hartnett and Ariel Donoghue play a father and daughter who attend a pop concert. The concert, which stars Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven, turns out to be a police operation to capture a serial killer.

In an interview with Empire, Shyamalan explained how the idea came about with a simple pitch: “What if The Silence of the Lambs happened at a Taylor Swift concert?”

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He explained that the film was partly inspired by Operation Flagship, a 1985 US sting operation that lured about 100 fugitives into a stadium with free NFL tickets.

“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 legendary filmmaker recalls.

Trap’s musical setting meant that Shyamalan also directed his daughter Saleka’s show. “I directed an entire concert! And it wasn’t just a background element. It’s just as important,” he said.

“There is no such thing as a fake concert. I like the idea of ​​cinema as a window within a window. One of the reasons people go to a movie theater is because there is literally a real concert that you can’t see anywhere else except in that movie.”

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Trap wouldn’t be a Shyamalan movie if it didn’t have a few twists and turns. The trailer seems to indicate that Hartnett’s character is the serial killer they’re looking for. Or is that really the case?

Whatever the outcome, Shyamalan is eager to create a unique story for viewers. “I really believe in original film. I want the industry to move towards more original stories. I think audiences would really appreciate that.”

He continued: “Look, I know intellectual property is a source of security. But it’s really important that we go to the movies and see something we’ve never seen before. I’m going to continue to fight for that.”

Trap will be released in theaters on August 9.

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