After working with M. Night Shyamalan and Christopher Nolan, Trap’s Josh Hartnett knows what they have in common: "They don’t feel the need to guard their creation"
Aug. 7, 2024Exclusive: Trap’s Josh Hartnett compares the directing styles of Christopher Nolan and M. Night Shyamalan
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We’re currently in the Josh Hartnett renaissance era. Initially positioned as a Hollywood heartthrob in his early career, the actor made a comeback-of-sorts as physicist Ernest Lawrence, an integral part ofOppenheimer’s ensemble cast.
Now, the actor is striking out as a lead once more in M. Night Shyamalan’sTrapas Cooper, a doting dad accompanying her daughter to a concert – but one harboring a dark secret (if youtake the trailers at face value, anyway).
But not many get the chance to work with auteurs such as M. Night Shyamalan and Christopher Nolan in their careers, let alone in back-to-back years.
When asked how the two big-name directors compare in their approach, Harnett offered up an intriguing answer.
“What’s great about Night and what’s great about Chris – there are two things that make them very similar – is that they’re both meticulous about the way they go about things,” Hartnett told GamesRadar+ and the Inside Total Film podcast. “But they’re also incredibly collaborative.”
Harnett continued, “When a director is at the top of their game in the way Chris and Night are, they don’t feel the need to guard their creation with everything they have from their collaborators because they trust the people they’ve hired to be a part of it.”
“Ultimately, their vision is so clear that it can contain a lot of different perspectives without being threatening to them. Other directors who are a bit less sure-footed will guard everything and not allow you an opinion.”
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That positive feeling even extends to the environment M. Night Shyamalan – best known for dark thrillers such as The Sixth Sense – fosters on set.
Trap is out in UK cinemas on August 9.
Listen out for our chat with M. Night Shyamalan on the upcoming episode of theInside Total Film podcast, which is available on Apple, Audioboom, Spotify, and more. For a taste, read our interview with the director as he explainswhy he put together a real concert for his latest thriller.
I’m the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you’ll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.
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