M. Night Shyamalan Starts Writing 17th Feature As He Thanks ‘Trap’ Audiences

As Trap surpasses the $80 million mark at the global box office, M. Night Shyamalan is getting to work on his next title.

The Academy Award nominee thanked audiences of his latest thriller on social media as he got to work on his upcoming 17th feature film, sharing a photo of the bright red notebook he’s using for the process.

“As a ritual for each film, I pick a notebook that speaks to me and I write notes, ideas for the new film in that. When it’s overflowing with ideas, I go to outline then script,” wrote Shyamalan in the post. “This is the notebook for movie 17! This bright red felt just right! As #Trapmovie passes 80 million in theaters, I am so grateful and begin the new one inspired by all the support you have given me over the years.”

In Trap, Josh Hartnett plays a man who takes his daughter to a huge concert for her favorite artist, which turns out to be an FBI trap for the father, who is secretly a serial killer known as ‘The Butcher’.

Shyamalan previously told Empire how he pitched the movie. “What if The Silence Of The Lambs happened at a Taylor Swift concert?” he recounted asking. His daughter Saleka Shyamalan plays the pop star character Lady Raven.

“I want the industry to move towards more original storytelling,” he said in the interview. “I think audiences would really like it. Look, I know there’s safety in IP. But it’s really important that we come to the movies and see something we’ve never seen before. I’ll keep fighting for that.”

So, don’t expect Shyamalan’s 17th movie to be a sequel to Stuart Little or She’s All That (yes, he really contributed to both of those scripts).

Shyamalan, whose 1999 film Sixth Sense earned him Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, is also known for such films as Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water, Split, Old and Knock at the Cabin.