Ahead of the films release December 8, io9 got a chance to ask him more.
What follows is a slightly edited and condensed version of our interview with Bousman.
How did you tackle making a cello scary?
Image: Destiny Media Entertainment
And I think he just did a fantastic job with this, creating something that felt dark.
We also used the mixers who did the Saw films, Urban Audio.
Like it talks, it says things, it says really horrible [things].
Image: Destiny Media Entertainment
And I think that thats only really heard in the surrounds.
I think a lot of it is the production design as well.
The cello is made of bones.
Image: Destiny Media Entertainment
And then there are finger bones up here.
But if you actually look at the cello in the movie, its just off a little bit.
How did this project come together and how did you come to be involved?
Image: Destiny Media Entertainment
And I said, Youre crazy.
Im not doing that.
And hes like, No, no, no.
So after some back and forth, I decided its a free trip to Egypt, if nothing else.
He was using references, obscure movies from like the 80s that maybe five people besides me had seen.
I just really liked this guy.
Originally I was like, Absolutely not.
And he goes, Just come for 24 hours.
It felt like I was in Los Angeles, outside of the heat.
The heat was insane.
But what excited me was that for years and years and years, there werent movies being released there.
There was no music being released there.
Art was not allowed like this.
So we talk about the danger thing, about doing things that are dangerousI love that.
Ive done it a few times.
I shot a TV series in Japan called Crows Blood.
I did a primarily all-Spanish film.
Ive done a movie that was 50% Thai.
I just think its cool because its a way that Im growing as a person.
I felt like I was constantly learning and having to reinvent myself.
io9: Theres a good bit of gore in the movie, which is something youre known for.
Bousman: That was something that I was kind of surprised by.
There was nothing that they said I could not do.
It used to be, How far can I push the envelope?
Now, it doesnt affect me as much.
They had never allowed film or filmmakers in there, let alone Western filmmakers in there.
And it is a sacred place, pre-dates Islam, pre-dates Christianity.
It was built by the same people that did Petra in Jordan.
We had to go through all of these precautions and red tape to be allowed there.
io9: Most of the cast is actors that wont be familiar to Western audiences.
How did Jeremy Irons get involved?
Bousman: We had a phone call.
Its simple as that.
Jeremy Irons walks in and he is the coolest guy in the room.
He just has this swagger about him.
And I think swagger shows itself in his character, Francesco.
He is that person.
In fact, I think a lot of the wardrobe he wears is his own wardrobe.
I mean, thats what he looks like.
And he goes, Why dont you come on down to my castle in Ireland?
He lives a castle in Ireland.
Thats just who he is.
Thats how he is!
We did not ever want to call him the devil.
And thats who he is.
Did you have on-set musicians giving him pointers?
Bousman: He was the last person cast.
Hes a huge Syrian actor.
He would be like the Syrian Brad Pitt.
So the month before coming to set, we flew a cellist out to him.
So thats how we did that.
So we actually have shots of, you know, this expert cellist with a green hood on.
But at the end of the day, I was just like, I dont want that.
I wanted it to be that character, I wanted it to be Samer.
So we just stayed with all of his own stuff doing it.
It takes place here in America.
Wait and see on that.
So we will see.
The Cello opens in theaters Friday, December 8.
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