The Rats (working title: The Colony) is a 2002 American made-for-TV horror film written by Frank Deasy and directed by John Lafia, loosely based on the novel of the same name by James Herbert. The plot follows a clan of rats transformed, as part of a DNA research trial, into man-eating killers who take over a Manhattan department store and threaten to overrun New York City. Originally intended to air on September 17, 2001, its release was delayed after the September 11 attacks to remove shots of the World Trade Center towers. The film premiered on Fox on September 17, 2002.