The Big Picture

  • M. Night Shyamalan wowed audiences with a sneak peek at his new film, Trap, inspired by his daughter and featuring a surprising twist.
  • Josh Hartnett stars in Trap, where a seemingly normal concert turns into a trap to catch a killer - with Hartnett's character as the surprise.
  • After some ups and downs, Shyamalan returns to form with Trap, promising a "bizarre" and "very dark" story for viewers.

Leave it to M. Night Shyamalan to put on an unforgettable show. That’s precisely what the critically acclaimed filmmaker did at CinemaCon during the event’s Warner Bros. showcase. Walking out in an all-white suit, the man behind such hits as The Sixth Sense and Signs, spoke about his new film, Trap, and how the film’s plot was inspired by his daughter. Blending an immersive musical experience with his presentation, Shyamalan brought out a singer and walked the audience through the feelings connected to the movie before debuting the trailer.

In the trailer, a father (Josh Hartnett) and his daughter attend a concert. Appearing as the dad of the year, Hartnett’s character treats his child to floor seats at her favorite performer’s show. The audience feels the plot begins to pick up when the dad heads out on a bathroom break, but the twist is just around the corner. On his way, he notices an onslaught of police officers and other law enforcement officials descending on the arena. Pulling one of the vendors aside, Hartnett’s character asks if he knows what’s going on. Revealing that the concert is all a facade, the vendor tells the dad that this is one big trap to catch a killer at large. But, just as viewers begin to get worried about the daughter he left on the dance floor, the twist is revealed that Hartnett’s character is the killer. On his phone, he checks in with a prisoner trapped Saw style back home before the teaser cuts out on Hartnett throwing a sinister smile at the camera.

After taking a bit of a breather from the bigtime life in Hollywood, Trap is the latest feature to see Hartnett’s return to the big screen. The actor held a part in Christopher Nolan’s award-sweeping film Oppenheimer and also appeared in Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre last year, but his appearances have been fewer since he became pickier about his projects. Of his team-up with Shyamalan, the Pearl Harbor actor says that audiences can expect a “bizarre” and “very dark” story with tonight’s teaser delivering on both of those descriptions.

‘Trap’ Comes With A Lot Of Pressure For M. Night Shyamalan

After blowing audiences away with the shock of all the shocks in The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan became known as the king of twists. He would go on to wow viewers with titles including The Village, Lady in the Water, and Split, but in recent years, he’s taken a bit of a tumble from his throne. Most recently, Knock at the Cabin was an underwhelming title at the box office, with the same being said for its predecessor, Old. Now, all eyes are on Trap, but with the twist being revealed in the trailer, can we expect more sharp turns ahead for the filmmaker’s latest project? These answers and more will be revealed when the title arrives in theaters on August 9.

Stay tuned for more information surrounding Trap as it becomes available.