Critically acclaimed filmmakerM. Night Shyamalanis returning to screens with his new horror thrillerTrap, starringJosh Hartnettas a father with a dark secret. The movie takes place during the concert of fictional mega popstar Lady Raven, played by Shyamalan’s daughter and real-life singer-songwriterSaleka Shyamalan. For the role, Saleka collaborated with rapperKid Cudifor one of the fourteen original tracks off her new album, penned entirely for the movie. Their song, titled “Divine,” and Kid Cudi’s turn as “The Thinker” inTrapmarks the artist’s first on-screen return to horror sinceTi West’sX(2022).
Trapisn’t the first father-daughter team-up for Shyamalan and his eldest daughter. Before her first studio album,Seance(2022), was released, Saleka wrote four songs for Shyamalan’s Apple TV+ seriesServant. Now, coinciding with her debut onscreen role opposite Hartnett,Hayley Mills,Alison Pill, andAriel Donoghue, Saleka launches her sophomore album titledLady Ravenfor her father’s film.
In this interview with Collider’sSteve Weintraub, Saleka discusses what it’s like working on an idea for a movie with her dad and how her role evolved throughout the writing process. She also talks about working with Shyamalan on set, teaming up with Kid Cudi for an all-new track, filming an entire concert for the movie, and more.
A father and his teen daughter attend a pop concert only to realize they’ve entered the center of a dark and sinister event.
Saleka Wrote an Entire Album for M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’
COLLIDER: When did you first find out that your dad was basically like, “Oh, by the way, I’m thinking about making a movie about a pop star and I think I want you to play the pop star?”
SALEKA SHYAMALAN: That moment never really happened because it was an idea that we were talking about for a while,wanting to incorporate an album of original music with an original filmthat he would create and make side-by-side and tailor-make them for each other. It was an idea that we came up with together. The part kind of evolved. First, it was the idea of a trap at a concert and playing the role of the singer, crafting music that would score everything that’s happening. Then, as he was writing the script, he kept getting more ideas of how it would progress outside the concert, and then the role became a little bit bigger. It was amazing.
Director Ishana Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Watchers’ Is All About the Vibes
Shyamalan had on-the-job training while working as a writer, director and producer on the Apple TV+ series ‘Servant.’
I’m such a big fan of your dad. I can’t imagine what it’s like collaborating with someone when it’s your dad, but he’s also such a good filmmaker. What is it like seeing behind the curtain? You had a front row where a lot of people don’t have access.
SHYAMALAN: It’s really incredible. He’s a master at his craft, and there is a reverence for him. People really understand and have a lot of respect for him on set, especially now because he’s been making movies for so long. He’s so good at what he does and is such a natural, and he’s got his flow down. He knows exactly how the day is gonna go and what needs to happen, and the priorities on set. you may just see him in his element. He’s made for this and I think he has such a love of storytelling. For me, getting to see the behind-the-scenes, it’s just witnessing how true that passion is and how all-consuming it is. Once he starts an idea from the minute he’s outlining it to now, when we’re on a press tour for the movie, he’s thinking about the concept every single moment. Everything in life that he’s observing comes into play, and he’s taking it and observing it, like, “How does this feed him as a vessel for creating this story that he wants to tell?”
How did you decide on what you wanted to be your first single off the movie soundtrack? I would imagine that there’s a lot of debate in that.
SHYAMALAN: There was. My dad had some opinions on that, and then also my label, Columbia, was dictating that.We wanted to start with a more stripped-down songand show the vulnerable, raw side of the character, and also of me in terms of the songwriting, something that felt like piano vocals. So, we started with the ballad called “Release.” Then from there, we’re moving into more of the pop bangers that come after, but wanting to start from that place of integrity first.
So it’s the night before your first day of filming. What are you thinking in your mind in terms of, are you scared shitless, are you nervous, are you like, “I got this because?” I can’t imagine what it’s like that night before the first day.
SHYAMALAN: [Laughs] It was definitely scary. I was nervous all the time, but there was an overwhelming amount of excitement and joy each day because, for me, I was like, “This is an incredible new experience.” I was having so much fun with the character and with the music, and everybody on set was so sweet. The time there was really fun. It didn’t feel daunting in a way that was negative, it was all like a new exciting challenge every day.
Kid Cudi’s Track “Divine” Brought Filming of ‘Trap’ to a Close
You see the shooting schedule in front of you. What’s the day you have circled in terms of, “I can’t wait to film this,” and what’s the day you have circled in terms of, “Oh my god, we have to film this?”
SHYAMALAN: “I can’t wait” would probably bethe Kid Cudi song, which was our last day shooting the concert. It was just so much fun, and it was the completion of this incredible project. There were two parts of the movie and one of them was this concert that we spent so long preparing for. When we shot the Kid Cudi song, getting to dance with him and play with him and just have fun and have a great time on stage was just a surreal experience. This song that we wrote together, I love so much. It kind of felt like wrapping up the first half of the movie.
Then there is a scene later in the movie that I don’t want to give away too much, but it is a very intense scene in a car that I was extremely nervous about filming. It was a hard, very difficult emotional place to get to. It took some extreme preparation.
What is it like when your dad is really happy with the take and when you can tell he’s not happy with the take?
SHYAMALAN: [Laughs] He’ll just keep saying, “One more, one more, one more,” until we’re, like, 15 takes in, and we get what he wants. But I feel like it’s more of a subtle thing, and I’ll see it on his face. He really does continue until he gets what he wants, and if he doesn’t, we’re back for reshoots, and we’re gonna be shooting it again. So, there wasn’t ever a scene that I felt like, “Oh, we really just didn’t get it.” And if there was a scene, it didn’t end up in the movie. But I can tell, he’ll be very confident and be like, “We got that,” at the end of a few takes. He’ll be very confident that we have it in the bag.
