For his upcoming Josh Harnett-led psychological thriller, M. Night Shyamalan went where, visually, he's never gone before: a concert. But not just a concert thrown by any random headliner, he had Taylor Swift in mind.
During an interview with Empire, the filmmaker discussed his film pitch, where he framed the question, "What if 'The Silence of the Lambs' happened at a Taylor Swift concert?"
While Swift wasn't cast in the film, which debuts on Aug. 2, 2024, the concert in Trap is held for police to seize a serial killer named "The Butcher." As Shyamalan explained to Empire, the film's basis was inspired by the 1985 scheme 'Operation Flagship,' where fugitives were lured by the U.S. Marshalls into attending an NFL game and told that they'd receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Super Bowl. Instead, the 100 individuals fell for the sting operation.
"It was hilarious," Shyamalan told Empire about the strategy. "The cops were literally cheerleaders and mascots. These guys were dancing as they came in. And they were all caught. It was so twisted and funny."
As for the film, Shyamalan cast his daughter, Saleka, as pop star Lady Raven, as the 27-year-old is also a singer-songwriter.
"I directed an entire concert! And it wasn’t just a thing in the background. It’s equally important. There is no pretend concert going on," he continued. "I love the idea of cinema as windows within windows. One of the reasons to come see the movie at the movie theatre is because there’s literally a real concert that you can see nowhere except in that movie."
While Swift is currently on the international leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour, Trap is sure to get a spook out of her once she views it.
