The Cello | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Darren Lynn Bousman |
Written by | Turki Al Alshikh |
Based on | Cello by Turki Al Alshikh |
Produced by | Lee Nelson |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Maxime Alexandre |
Edited by |
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Music by | Joseph Bishara |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Rozam Media |
Release dates |
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Country | Saudi Arabia |
Languages |
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Box office | $5,314 [1] |
The Cello is a 2023 Saudi Arabian horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Turki Al Alshikh. It is based on Alshikh's novel of the same title and stars Jeremy Irons, Samer Ismail, Elham Ali, Souad Abdullah, Tobin Bell and Muhannad Al Hamdi. The story revolves around an aspiring cellist who acquires an insidious cello that begins to wreak havoc around him.
Production for The Cello took place in late 2021. It premiered in Boulevard Riyadh City on September 8, 2023, and was released in the United Arab Emirates on September 14, 2023.
The Cello is based on Turki Al Alshikh's novel of the same name, who also wrote the script. Darren Lynn Bousman was hired to direct with Lee Nelson producing. Principal photography completed in October 2021 after more than 100 days of filming in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vienna, Prague, and Iceland. [2] [3] [4]
In February 2023, as the film entered post-production, Bousman told horror news website Bloody Disgusting, "This movie has been a beast. We finally finished it a few weeks back and are currently in the middle of a deal for its release. So, hopefully, an announcement soon! Since the movie was shot primarily in Arabic, mixing it, doing the ADR, and then having to translate it has taken longer than we were expecting. Our hope is the movie will be released later this year". [5]
The Cello had its world premiere in Boulevard Riyadh City on September 8, 2023. [6] It was released in the United Arab Emirates on September 14, 2023, where it grossed $5,314. [1] The film was released onto 288 theater screens in the United States by Destiny Media Entertainment on December 8, 2023. [7] [8]
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. The current form of the metropolis emerged as an offshoot of the eponymous walled town following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications in the 1950s, after which the city underwent several phases of expansion and urbanization.
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Turki bin Faisal Al Saud is a Saudi prince and former government official who served as the head of Saudi Arabia's General Intelligence Presidency from 1979 to 2001. He is the chairman of the King Faisal Foundation's Center for Research and Islamic Studies.
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John Kramer is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the Saw franchise. Jigsaw made his debut in the first film of the series, Saw, and appears in all subsequent installments, with the exception of Spiral, in which he is only mentioned and featured in photographs. He is portrayed by American actor Tobin Bell.
The Saudi Pro League (SPL), known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship reasons, is the highest division of association football in the Saudi league system.
Saud Al Kabeer bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was a grandson of Saud bin Faisal bin Turki and a distant nephew and important supporter of King Abdulaziz, founder of Saudi Arabia. Prince Saud was one of the most known Najdi people. Through his marriages he was the brother-in-law, and later he became the son-in-law, of King Abdulaziz. Saud was married for 45 years to King Abdulaziz's eldest sister Noura bint Abdul Rahman, and after her death in 1950 he married the King's daughter Princess Hessa.
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Darren Lynn Bousman is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in horror films. He has directed four of the Saw films: Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, and Spiral. He also directed the horror musicals Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Carnival movies. Bousman is co-creator and writer of alternate reality games (ARG) and immersive experiences, The Tension Experience (2016), The Lust Experience (2017), Theatre Macabre (2018), iConfidant (2020), and One Day Die (2020).
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Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud, also known as Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, is a former Saudi racing driver and businessman as well as a member of the House of Saud. Prince Abdulaziz is the minister of sports appointed by King Salman with a royal decree on 25 February 2020.
The Riyadh Metro is a rapid transit system under construction in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. It is part of the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport and will consist of six metro lines spanning a total length of 176 kilometres (109 mi), with 84 stations. The project will cost $22.5 billion to build. It is expected to open to passengers in 2024.
Turki bin Abdullah Al Saud is the seventh son of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. He served as deputy governor and then, governor of Riyadh Province from 2013 to 29 January 2015. He was one of the 11 princes detained in November 2017 by Mohammad bin Salman as a part of his anti-corruption drive on accusations of corruption in the Riyadh Metro project and taking advantage of his influence to award contracts to his own companies. It was reported in August 2023 that after a trial he was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Samer Ismail is a Syrian actor known for portraying the ancient character of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph of Islam in the pan-Arab television series Omar directed by Hatem Ali. The series was produced and broadcast by MBC. Some questioned his portrayal of the character of Omar, demanding to know Ismail's religious origin. Ismail refused to reveal his religious denomination saying that this was a personal matter and was irrelevant to his role. He also played the role of Azzam in the TV series Minbar al Mawta directed by Rasha Sharbatji. He will also appear in the upcoming film Cello, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman.
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Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al-AlShaikh is a Saudi adviser at the Royal Court under the rank of Minister and the current Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority. As chairman of the GEA, Al-Sheikh is credited with leading significant developments in Saudi Arabia, including contributions to sports and cultural arenas.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw is a 2021 American horror-thriller film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. It is a standalone sequel and the ninth installment of the Saw film series. The film stars Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, and Samuel L. Jackson, and follows police efforts to stop a Jigsaw copycat killer. The original creators of the series, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, as well as Rock and series veteran Kevin Greutert, serve as executive producers.
Death of Me is a 2020 American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, from a screenplay by Ari Margolis, James Morley III, and David Tish. It stars Maggie Q, Alex Essoe, and Luke Hemsworth.