The Josh Hartnett Renaissance is really upon us. Long-time Hartnett fans will disagree with me, but Hartnett’s “wilderness years” lasted longer than I expected. Josh was one of the hottest properties twenty years ago, and he could have been one of the biggest movie stars in the world. It’s not entirely his fault – at a moment where he should have been hitting his professional stride, Hollywood didn’t really know what to do with conventionally handsome leading men. So Hartnett’s Wilderness Years sort of took over – I’m looking through his Wiki and my God, the 2010s were rough for his career. But then last year, he had a supporting, scene-stealing role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. And at some point, he got a call from M. Night Shyamalan – the lead in a horror-drama called Trap. The trailer just came out:
Much like Hartnett, Shyamalan’s had some extreme ups and downs, but he’s currently riding a professional high with a decade-long string of hits. Trap looks like new territory AND a return to form. You’ve got to think that if the trailer “spoils” the fact that Hartnett’s character has a guy chained up in his basement, there are plenty of other twists and turns. Hartnett’s casting here is interesting too – I would not have chosen a conventionally handsome guy like Hartnett to play a psycho killer, but that sort of makes it work too. That’s how it works in real life as well – sometimes the personable, attractive guy is the biggest psycho. Also: the singer, “Lady Raven,” is being played by M. Night’s real-life adult daughter Saleka Shyalaman.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.