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Darren Lynn Bousman (born January 11, 1979) is an American film director and screenwriter best known for his work on the Saw franchise and the horror musical Repo! The Genetic Opera.

He was the co-writer of Saw II and the director of Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, and Spiral.

Personal Life[]

Darren Lynn Bousman was born in Overland Park, Kansas, the son of Nancy and Lynn Bousman. He attended Shawnee Mission North High School and studied film at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. On October 4, 2008, Bousman got engaged to Laura Bosserman and married her on January 2, 2010. The couple has two children, Henry Lynn Bousman and Hadley Jordan Bousman.

Career[]

In 2004, Bousman pitched an idea for a movie called The Desperate to various American studios, who complained that the screenplay was too violent and the plot was too similar to Saw, a thriller released the same year. Eventually, camera operator David Armstrong, who had already worked on the first Saw film, suggested showing it to producer Gregg Hoffman. After showing it to his partners, Mark Burg and Oren Koules, they changed the script into Saw II. Two months later, Bousman was flown to Toronto to direct the movie.

During the production of Saw II, Bousman directed the music video for Mudvayne's single Forget to Remember, which appeared as the main track on the soundtrack album. Saw II was a financial success, and Bousman was signed on to direct Saw III, released on October 27, 2006.

After Saw III, Bousman announced that he would never direct another Saw film, so he would be free to prepare for his project Repo! The Genetic Opera, written by Terrance Zdunich. Despite this, on February 19, 2007, Leigh Whannell announced that Bousman had signed on to direct Saw IV. Bousman explained that before shooting could begin on Repo! The Genetic Opera, there was a gap of time during which the songs were being pre-recorded, enabling him to direct Saw IV during that period.

Bousman taught film director newcomers in the Horror Film Boot Camp, which began on May 7, 2010, and ended on May 9, 2010, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also directed an episode of the horror anthology show Fear Itself, entitled New Year's Day, and the remake of David Cronenberg's Scanners. Later, he helmed the psychological thriller Ninety, based on a screenbook by Scott Millam.

Bousman directed the 2010 remake of Mother's Day, starring Shawn Ashmore, Deborah Ann Woll, and Briana Evigan. In 2011, he helmed the film 11-11-11. The following year, he reunited with Terrance Zdunich and directed The Devil's Carnival, the first installment in a short film series. On May 13, 2013, Dread Central announced that Bousman would work on Sacrilege, a religious-themed horror film. In 2015, he participated in the anthology movie Tales of Halloween, produced by Epic Pictures. He also directed The Night Billy Raised Hell, written by Clint Sears.

In 2016, Bousman directed Abattoir. It was described as "the best 2016 horror movie you didn't see" by Bloody Disgusting but otherwise was not well-reviewed. Abattoir premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 7, 2016. Two years later, Bousman collaborated with Clint Sears again and directed St. Agatha, a religious horror film set in the 1950s.

In 2019, Bousman turned down the chance to work on a Broadway show in New York City after Chris Rock insisted he direct Spiral: From the Book of Saw, the ninth movie in the Saw series. Bousman stated that the new installment included less violence and gore, expressing the conviction that these elements were merely a gimmick for him back when he started working on the Saw films but would now serve the story in a meaningful way.

In 2020, he directed Death of Me, starring Maggie Q and Luke Hemsworth. It was filmed in Thailand and released by Saban Films on October 2, 2020.

Immersive Theater[]

Besides his career as a movie director, Bousman began developing immersive experiences in 2016 and has co-created five experiences to date.

The Tension Experience (2016)[]

The Tension Experience, created by Gordon Bijelonic and Clint Sears and directed by Bousman, was launched on September 8, 2016. The ARG immersive theater production took place over nine months, with participants unlocking secrets through various interactions in an alternate reality game. The event culminated in multiple two-hour live immersive experiences at a secret location in Los Angeles. The Tension Experience was set in a 45,000-square-foot warehouse and employed over 40 actors who followed different scripts depending on how participants reacted.

The Verge described The Tension Experience as a "dramatically engaging, layered story experience that breathed new life into the ideas of transmedia storytelling." In 2018, independent film and television production company AGBO announced a partnership with The Tension Experience to develop new immersive experiences and expand the production to more cities. The first planned project was a permanent casino destination in Las Vegas.

The Lust Experience (2017)[]

The Lust Experience debuted in 2017, following the success of The Tension Experience. A Bloody Disgusting review said: "The Lust Experience was a story surrounding an ancient cult that was actively recruiting new members" and "Bousman and Sears pulled every string they could to push us to our mental limits." Haunting described The Tension Experience and The Lust Experience as "two interconnected multi-year alternate reality experiences that preyed on the emotions and thrived on the dedication of a loyal and widespread group of followers."

Theatre Macabre (2018)[]

Theatre Macabre was launched in Los Angeles in 2018. The eagerly anticipated immersive experience had a thousand-page script. It was inspired by the Paris Théâtre du Grand Guignol, which, in 1897, "specialized in grotesque shows that explored society's darkest taboos." Bousman told Daily Dead: "It is the most intricately designed and choreographed show that we've done, where there are endless possibilities when you walk through the door. Anything can happen based on your choices as a participant."

iConfidant (2020)[]

iConfidant, a socially distant immersive ARG, ran for six weeks in 2020, culminating in a "multimedia, multi-platform experience centered around the theme of connection" on June 6, 2020. Participants joined a month-long journey, exploring friendship, deceit, and mental health, entering what Bousman described as a "rabbit hole allowing participants to enter a bizarre and distorted world." No Proscenium said, "the amount of work behind iConfidant is stunning," and noted that the show raised over $4,000 for Movement for Black Lives.

One Day Die (2020)[]

One Day Die was a 90-minute guided online séance experience in October 2020. Slashfilm.com described it as an "intense, R-rated experience." The immersive show saw participants receive a mysterious handmade box sent by the show's creators that must remain sealed until the experience commenced. Participants then enjoyed "a spooky evening from the comfort of their own homes." In October, a run of sold-out shows saw Bousman announce two additional encore shows in early November. Daily Dead said: "Darren Lynn Bousman is one of the most inventive creators in the immersive entertainment space today and the fact that many of his events run for a limited time, means you have to catch them before they're gone forever."

Filmography[]

Films[]

Year Title
2000 Butterfly Dreams
2001 Identity Lost
2005 Saw II
2006 Saw III
Repo! The Genetic Opera
2007 Saw IV
2008 Repo! The Genetic Opera
2010 Mother's Day
2011 11-11-11
2012 The Devil's Carnival
The Barrens
2015 Tales of Halloween
2016 Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival
Abattoir
2018 St. Agatha
2020 Death of Me
2021 Spiral

Television Series[]

Year Title
2008 Fear Itself

Television Films[]

Year Title
2014 Angelus

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

External Links[]

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