M. Night Shyamalan Pitched Latest Film As ‘Silence of the Lambs’ At A Taylor Swift Concert

Oscar-nominated filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan shared the concept behind his upcoming film ‘Trap,’ starring Josh Hartnett. In a recent interview with Empire magazine, when asked how he pitched the movie, Shyamalan responded, “What if ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ happened at a Taylor Swift concert?”

Trap follows a father (Hartnett) and his teen daughter (Ariel Donoghue), who attend a pop concert for fictional singer Lady Raven (played by Saleka Shyamalan, daughter of M. Night Shyamalan). The plot unfolds as they realize they’re in the middle of a much darker event: a police operation to capture a serial killer.

Shyamalan said the movie was partially inspired by the real-life 1985 “Operation Flagship” — an operation by U.S. Marshals and the DC Metropolitan Police Department, which resulted in the arrest of more than 100 wanted fugitives after they were persuaded to a stadium with free NFL tickets.

The director added that his daughter’s (Saleka) rising music career also influenced the story.

“I directed an entire concert!” he told Empire. “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 theater is because there’s literally a real concert that you can see nowhere except in that movie.”

He continued explaining the importance of non-I.P and original story-telling:

“I really do believe in the original movie,” Shyamalan added. “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.”

‘Trap’ releases in theaters on August 9, 2024.

Watch the trailer for ‘Trap’ below: