M. Night Shyamalan said he couldn’t see anyone else but Josh Hartnett as lead character Cooper in his new thriller, “Trap,” noting that he loved that the “Penny Dreadful” star was willing to “risk everything” with him to make the movie.
The “Sixth Sense” director began self-financing his own films with 2015’s “The Visit,” a gamble that paid off on the very first day of release.
“There’s no way to protect yourself. We’ll all get paid if we’re successful, if we’re not, we don’t get paid. And I don’t think you should,” he told GQ in a video where he talked about his most iconic movies.
He said he wrote the role of Cooper as a “superstar,” but needed an actor who was alright with making a movie that didn’t have a studio’s backing upfront.
When he first met with Hartnett, they bonded over the fact that they both have three daughters and live outside of Hollywood. The director/producer was thrilled when the actor told him that “danger is what really drives him.”
“And I was like, ‘Let’s go, brother, you found the right home,’” Shyamalan said. “It was just a perfect union.”
The filmmaker also explained why he began financing his own movies after realizing, “I don’t fit into this industry.”
“It’s not working for me, so I’m just going to go make a movie. I’m not going to ask permission, I’m not going to go by any rules,” he continued. “I’m just going to make something and have an incredibly fun time.”
The first cut of “The Visit” got no takers, but after spending more time on the film, he agreed to screen it for Universal, but only in front of an audience.
“The audience went crazy, and luckily, [Universal] bought it and then we released it. It grossed $25 million on its opening day. The movie cost $5 million and it was in profit by 7 p.m. on the first day, and off to the races. And here we are,” Shyamalan concluded.
“Trap” is now playing in theaters.