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.
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- Josh Hartnett at the British Academy Film Awards 2024 at the Royal Festival Hall in Waterloo, London, United Kingdom on 18 February 2024.,Image: 848412176, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Cat Morley / Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – FEBRUARY 24: Josh Hartnett, winner of the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award for ‘Oppenheimer’ poses in the press room at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on February 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 850613931, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Josh Hartnett, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Tamsin Egerton and Josh Hartnett arrive on the red carpet of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024.,Image: 855656098, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Mike Baker / Avalon
OMG it looks intense, will definitely watch!
Hartnett was also in one of the best episodes (IMO) of Black Mirror last year. This looks good as long as it has something else in the plot because it feels like the trailer gave away the whole game.
Oooo I agree – I get goosebumps thinking about his creepiness in that episode
I enjoyed him in Penny Dreadful. That was the first time I’d seen him in years, and after that was cancelled I hadn’t seen much of him. Seeing him in the trailer was a pleasant surprise.
Big fan. He was brilliant in Penny Dreadful.
Also loved 40 days and 40 Nights
The best looking guy of his generation, and a good actor as well. I am happy to see him come back to mainstream.
I absolutely loved him in Lucky Number Slevin!
I hope this movie has another surprise or two in it, because…M. Night just gave the whole thing away!
Lucky Number Slevin is one of my absolute fave movies,sooo under rated. The second half is just glorious.
I agree! Lucky Number Sleven is amazing and I must rewatch it now!
Remember when people thought Suri Cruise was his daughter? I can still see that – and hope that for her.
I’m iffy about MNS’s movies. He’s let me down a few times.
I am having trouble believing that they gave away the biggest part of the plot in the trailer, so I’m interested to see what actually happens in the movie.
Same, if it really is him (??) then how are they going to keep us engaged?
As for Hartnett, the only think I’ve seen him in recently was Operation Fortune and it definitely left me wanting to see him in more things.
Shyamalan is know for a lot of twists in his movies – is the trailer is giving off vibes that Hartnett’s character is the killer then its because its meant to and means there will be major twists in the actual movie.
I think Josh Hartnett is pretty similar to Jude Law – people wanted him to have this leading-man heartthrob career, but he’s a super talented actor who’s much better disappearing into characters. JH moved out of Hollywood with his wife and has been working steadily (he was just in Oppenheimer); I think he has exactly the career he wants.
@ Kristen — Yes! I think he saw the road he would have to go down as “leading man” and chose a less conventional path in order to have quality of life w/ his wife and family.
He was my favorite actor in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. I loved O, The Faculty and The Virgin Suicides. I am really glad to see him getting a prominent second act. He followed his own path doing more independent films and avoided the super hero path that would have lead to super stardom. You have to really respect someone who did what was right for himself and did not go for the money.
He was magnificent in Penny Dreadful – knocked it out of the park!
I loved him in Penny Dreadful!
I loved him in Penny Dreadful! I just loved Penny Dreadful in general. I loved Eva Green too.
He was so good in Penny Dreadful. And Eva Green was masterful. I just kinda pretend the last season didn’t really happen…
yay so happy to see the other Penny Dreadful fans. That was such a great show and ended too soon!
I got the sense Josh got overwhelmed with the big action movie of Pearl Harbor and realized a Big Movie Star gig wasn’t for him and withdrew.
And just chooses his projects more carefully.
This looks intriguing M Night gives good twists.
Looks intense! And from watching the trailer, I think it was filmed in my city, Toronto.
Josh Hartnett is one of those guys I didn’t really “get” when we were younger, but I’ve really grown to like him! Conventionally handsome, yes, but he seemed almost too pretty to be attractive as a younger guy. I think he’s aged well.
absolute nonsense…. Penny Dreadful was great
odd headline, career renaissance yet the article says “decade-long string of hits”
^^ I believe the article references director, MNS (not Hartnett), as having an inconsistent career, but that MNS has bounced back with “a decade-long string of hits.”
Yes! That’s what I remember, after Pearl Harbor he wanted to step away from the Big Hollywood Star machine and all that came with it. I thought it was a conscious choice to disengage and focus more on family and friends in his hometown and do work on smaller indie projects etc. I mean he turned down Nolan when he wanted to cast him as lead in Batman Begins.
I met Josh Hotnett over a decade ago when he was dating Scarlett and she was touring with Jesus and Mary Chain. He was chilling at a bar in NYC near the vicinity of where her show was, and he chatted for a bit with me and my male friend and was super down to earth. He was awesome in 40 Days of Night. I’d be so down for a Hotnett Renaissance.
Hmm, I wonder if this will be one of those cases of the trailers spoiling a twist that would’ve been more interesting to see in film, but we’ll see. He’s well cast, though. He can bounce between friendly and intense quite nicely on screen.
Quite like him for listening to himself and quitting HW for a while to build his family.