Debut footage of M. Night Shyamalan’s latest movie Trap was just revealed at CinemaCon. The first footage for Josh Hartnett’s new horror movie reveals that he’s playing the killer in the new Shyamalan picture, which was first announced back in 2022 after the acclaimed director’s previous film Knock at the Cabin. The next Shyamalan project was originally expected to be released in April 2024 but is now slated for an August 9, 2024 release date.
Trap, which is written, directed, and produced by Shyamalan, also stars his daughter, Saleka Shyamalan, as Lady Raven in her feature film acting debut. Because Shyamalan directs and produces his films, he was able to continue filming throughout the 2023 dual WGA and SAG strikes even though the film was ultimately picked up by Warner Bros. after filming had completed. Harnett has described Trap as “very bizarre” and called working with Shyamalan “one of the best experiences” of his acting career.
The first footage of Josh Hartnett in Trap reveals some major clues about his antagonist character. The footage revealed at CinemaCon started at a concert for Lady Raven, played by Saleka Shyamalan, who is an R&B singer, songwriter, and recording artist in real life. We then see Josh Hartnett’s character and his daughter go into the concert, take pictures together, and cheer as the concert starts. Hartnett says he’ll be right back and he goes to the restroom. We see several shots of police. “There are a lot of police trucks outside,” Hartnett says to one of the people selling t-shirts.
The salesman namedrops a serial killer and says, “You know that nutjob who goes around chopping people up?” The salesman tells Hartnett that the concert is a trap to catch this killer. We see dozens and dozens of cops surrounding the concert hall, and he’s told “There’s no way to get out of here.” The twist is revealed that Hartnett is the serial killer. He’s looking at his phone at someone he has trapped and smiles. Then we see him in various shots looking around, looking for an escape. “Kinda dope, right?” The salesman says to Hartnett, who then laughs maniacally before the trailer ends.
Josh Hartnett’s first-ever film role was a breakout performance in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, making his modern return to the horror genre a full-circle moment. The celebrated actor, who has also appeared in classics such as The Virgin Suicides (1999), Black Hawk Down (2001), Sin City (2005), Lucky Number Slevin (2006), and the recent Best Picture winner Oppenheimer, referred to his killer role in Trap as a pivot from his usual type of material. Hartnett had played a villain before Trap in the 2001 Shakespeare adaptation O as the evil and untrustworthy Hugo.