Is the plot of “Trap” too crazy to be true? Obviously not.
The upcoming horror film is about “a father (Josh Hartnett) and teenage daughter (Ariel Donoghue) who attend a pop concert and realize that they are at the center of a dark and ominous event.”
The twist? The girl’s father, Cooper, has a secret: he’s a serial killer known as the Butcher. The second twist? They’re not just there to see pop star Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan). The concert is actually an elaborate trap set up by the authorities to catch him.
How did filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan come up with such a wild story idea?
Shyamalan revealed that the plot was inspired by a true event: Operation Flagship.
In 1985, over 3,000 fugitives wanted by authorities for various crimes received “invitations” in the mail for free tickets to Redskins-Bengals football games.
The “winners” were told to pick up their tickets at a brunch, were given free transportation to the game, and even the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Superbowl XX in New Orleans. After about 100 fugitives showed up, they were arrested by deputy marshals and DC Metropolitan Police officers.
166 police officers took part. They played ushers, cleaners, catering staff and employees of the fake company that sent out the invitations.
“It was hilarious… The cops were literally cheerleaders and mascots. These guys were dancing when they came in. And they all got caught. It was so wacky and funny,” Shyamalan said in an interview with Empire Magazine.
In addition to Hartnett and Donoghue, the film also stars Hayley Mills, Allison Pill, Marnie McPhail and others.
“Trap” is now in theaters.
