A 2024M. Night Shyamalanmovie has become a global-level streaming success just months after its theatrical release. Shyalaman is a writer and director whose work has become more or less synonymous with explosive plot twists. His breakout came with the release of the smash hit supernatural horror movieThe Sixth Sensein 1999. In addition to grossing $672.8 million against its $40 million budget, the movie earned six Academy Awards nominations, including two for Shyamalan himself (for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay).
M. Night Shyamalan movieshave had many ups and downs since 1999. Following the highs of his post-Sixth SensemoviesUnbreakableandSigns, he entered a critical fallow period between 2006’sLady in the Waterand 2013’sAfter Earth, a stretch that also included the notoriously maligned titlesThe Last AirbenderandThe Happening. In the mid-2010s,he began rehabilitating his image with better-received modern thrillerssuch as 2015’sThe Visit, 2016’sSplit, 2023’sKnock at the Cabin, and his 2024 movie that is now a streaming success.
Trap Is Charting On Netflix
The Shyamalan Movie Debuted In August 2024
Traphas now become a Netflix success. The 2024 M. Night Shyamalan movie starred Josh Hartnett as doting father Cooper, who brings his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a pop concert, only to discover that it isan elaborate sting operation designed to capture a serial killer: him. TheTrapcastalso includes Saleka Night Shyamalan, Alison Pill, Hayley Mills, and Jonathan Langdon. Overall, it was a middling success in theaters, grossing $83.6 million against its reported budget of $30 million, which likely placed its break-even point somewhere around $75 million.
Critics gaveTrapa 57% score on Rotten Tomatoes while audiences gave it 65%.
Netflixhas now calculated their global Top 10 chart of the most-watched English-language movies for the week of March 10 through 16. Thanks to 6.7 million viewers worldwide accumulating a total of 11.8 million viewing hours,Traphas debuted at No. 4 on the chart, behind fellow 2024 theatrical releaseKraven the Hunterand the Netflix original moviesPlankton: The MovieandThe Electric State. See the full chart below:
1
25.2 million
2
13.4 million
3
7.1 million
4
6.7 million
5
6.1 million
6
5.7 million
7
4.3 million
8
3.3 million
9
10
The Croods(2013)
The Shyamalan thriller has managed this success in spite of the fact thatit is only streaming in the United States at the time of writing, and is thus not having its position boosted by viewers from other regions.
What This Means For Trap
Streaming Could Provide It With A Huge Boost
AlthoughTrapreviewswere middling, it performed well in theaters. However, streaming may be the true place where the M. Night Shyamalanthriller can thrive. The movie competing at a global level over the course of a single week in spite of only being available in one region speaks to the fact thatit has already found a way to strongly connect with a wide at-home audience, which could help it become an even bigger success overall. To compare,Plankton, which only had roughly twice as many viewers, is currently in the Top 10 in eight times as many countries.
Traphas shown great potential by keeping pace with [Kraven the Hunter].
WhileKraven the Hunteris also a U.S.-only release that has landed on the global chart,Traphas shown great potential by keeping pace with the 2024 superhero movie. Even thoughKravenwas a theatrical flop, earning $62 million worldwide against a roughly $120 million budget, it has proven to be a major streaming success. In fact, at the time of writing, the Marvel movie has charted above Netflix’s new big-budget releaseThe Electric Statein the United States for three consecutive days. Thus,Trapfalling only slightly behind the movie is hardly a demerit.
Our Take On Trap’s Streaming Success
Shyamalan’s Future Looks Bright, Wherever It Lands
If things continue to trend in this direction,it seems possible that future Shyamalan movies will be geared toward streaming exclusive releasesrather than debuting in theaters. However, givenTrap’s initial theatrical success, an upcoming movie of his (a roster that includes aNicholas Sparks adaptation) would likely have to be an outright theatrical failure and a streaming success in order for that transition to actually occur. However, M. Night Shyamalandoes have ample experience that could help him thrive when crafting streaming exclusive movies.
M. Night Shyamalan’s Nicholas Sparks movie is set to star Jake Gyllenhaal.
While no feature-lengthM. Night Shyamalanprojects have debuted on streaming, he was the executive producer, showrunner, and occasional director of the Apple TV+ seriesServant, which ran for four seasons between 2019 and 2024. At the time of writing,it is tied as the longest-running scripted series ever released on the platform. WhileSlow HorsesandFor All Mankindhave both been renewed for future seasons that will see those shows eventually outpace it, its success shows that Shyamalan has a handle on how to guide a project to streaming success, should his post-Trapcareer move in that direction.
