Jeremy Irons and Tobin Bell in The Cello (2023)

‘The Cello’: Prague-shot horror film starring Jeremy Irons premieres in Saudi Arabia

The Cello, a new horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, III, and IV) and starring Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons and Saw‘s Tobin Bell, opens wide in cinemas across Saudi Arabia this weekend following its world premiere in Riyadh last week. The movie was partially filmed in Prague two years ago, during October of 2021.

Director Bousman accompanied The Cello during its premiere last weekend. The film is being promoted as the first Arabic movie produced for an international market.

“Getting to experience the movie in Riyadh with a packed audience was surreal,” Bousman told press after the premiere. “I have been so lucky in my career to shoot all over the world and The Cello took me to Saudi Arabia, Prague, and Ireland. It was such a fantastic adventure getting to work and play in such different and unique areas.”

“We had the great fortune to work with superstars of the Arab region. Then, add Jeremy Irons and Tobin Bell into the mix and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The Cello charts the story of an Arabic cellist who discovers that his new instrument comes with a deadly curse. He travels through Europe in an attempt to unravel the mystery behind his cello and overcome its deadly intentions.

In the Czech capital, The Cello filmed at Hradčanské náměstí by Prague Castle, on Na Příkopě street in Old Town, at the landmark Rudolfinum concert hall, and additional locations in the city’s Malá Strana neighborhood.

Outside of Prague, scenes for The Cello also shot at Kačina Castle and Točník Castle, which are both protected national monuments in the Central Bohemian region. Stillking Films handled local production of the film in the Czech Republic.

Jeremy Irons made local headlines in 2021 when a kind stranger bought him and his wife a cup of coffee. The actor didn’t have any cash on him at a cafe near Prague Castle, and the location’s credit card terminal wasn’t working.

Alongside Irons and Bell, The Cello also stars Samer Ismail, Elham Ali, Souad Abdullah, Muhannad Al Hamdi, Mila Al Zahrani, Baraa Alem, and Ghassan Massoud. The film was written by author and Saudi Arabian entertainment minister Turki Al Alshikh, from his own novel.

A release date for the film in additional regions is unconfirmed, but The Cello is slated to open in the United States this December, according to the film’s producers.

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Jason Pirodsky

Jason Pirodsky has been writing about the Prague film scene and reviewing films in print and online media since 2005. A member of the Online Film Critics Society, you can also catch his musings on life in Prague at expats.cz and tips on mindfulness sourced from ancient principles at MaArtial.com.

One Response

  1. Was this ever released? I heard about a release last year (NYC) but it never seemed to come out. Any updates?

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