(Updated 04/24/2024)
It's the Summer of Shyamalan! That's how filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan recently joked about the next few months. First, there's THE WATCHERS, directed by his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan, and produced by her father. That opens in June. Then, in August, there's TRAP, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and co-starring his other daughter, Saleka Shyamalan, as a pop star whose concert becomes a trap for a serial killer.
That's what the first trailer for TRAP suggests, at least. But if there's anything we know about an M. Night Shyamalan movie, it's that there's probably a twist, and at least a couple of secrets that the trailer doesn't reveal. Check out that first trailer below and learn everything else we know about the new M. Night Shyamalan movie, TRAP.
What's the Trap Release Date?
Warner Bros. pictures will release TRAP on August 9, 2024.
Watch the First Trap Trailer
In the era of mega-tours by artists such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, the setup for TRAP is going to be immediately familiar. But those artists probably never have anything like this happen at their concerts. This trailer sets up a father/daughter outing to a big pop star's tour stop. But there might also be a killer in the house — and if this trailer is to be believed, it is the character played by Josh Hartnett.
What's the Plot of Trap?
We can tell you what the studio tells us, which is almost certainly true only in part. The trailer seems to be very clear about the fact that Lady Raven's latest concert is in fact a well-laid trap to catch a serial killer. The trailer also seems to clearly set out the idea that the dad played by Josh Hartnett is that killer.
But as with nearly every M. Night Shyamalan movie, there are likely hidden layers behind what we think is the truth. So that basic setup — a dad takes his daughter to a concert that also happens to be designed as a snare to catch a killer — is almost certainly true. But we expect the details to be more complicated than what we know so far.
What's the Twist in M. Night Shyamalan's Trap?
Well, if we knew, we wouldn't say! But there are a lot of guesses to make. The first assumption is that, despite what the trailer suggests, Josh Harnett's character is not actually the killer. So who is it? Maybe the person who seems to be trapped in his house? Or his daughter?
And why is the merch guy played by Jonathan Langdon telling Josh Hartnett's character so many supposedly secret details?
We also have questions about Lady Raven's tour and her role in everything. Pause the trailer early on and you can see a tour itinerary on the banners hanging in the arena. It's weird! The tour bounces all over the country with no sense of geography — that's not how pop star arena tours are scheduled. Are those cities home to other killers? Quite a few famous ones come from the cities on that list, at least.
Who's in the Cast of Trap?
We've mentioned quite a few TRAP cast members already, but here's the quick rundown. Josh Hartnett stars as a dad escorting his daughter, played by Ariel Donoghue, to a concert. Performing is Lady Raven, played by Saleka Shyamalan.
Beyond that basic setup, we know the cast features '60s teen movie icon Hayley Mills in addition to Alison Pill, Marnie McPhail, Vanessa Smythe, and Jonathan Langdon.
A Father/Daughter Event in More Ways Than One
There are two Shyamalan family members involved in this movie. R&B singer Saleka, daughter of M. Night, plays the singer Lady Raven in the movie. She also wrote songs for the film.
M. Night Shyamalan recently explained the process of songwriting, saying that "I would say to Saleka, 'This is the outline, and we need this moment here. This is what he’s doing at this moment, and I need a song here.'" Following that instruction, "she just went away and wrote, kind of slightly scoring it in the way she was writing the songs. I didn’t ask her to do that, she was just feeling it out and commenting on the scenes."
TRAP opens on August 9.
All images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.