Danny Boyle has revealed that he was worried that people would walk out of his new movie 127 Hours during the amputation scene.
The British filmmaker is back in the director's chair for the first movie since the huge success of Slumdog Millionaire.
The movie, which stars James Franco, tells the story of Aron Ralston - an climber who got trapped and had to go to extreme measures to survive.
Speaking to Deadline the filmmaker said: "My worry, funny enough, was that we'd get people walking out at that moment. It's a tribute to James that, even though people don't find that scene easy, you can see people making an effort to stick it out."
Boyle said that cinema-goers passing out "doesn't sound like much of a recommendation for seeing the film".
"You're on a journey, and the things that are going on are tough. It is important that people know they've been through something, and that there is a reward attached to that.
"That reward is a profound sense of well-being. It's not the thrill sense of well-being you got from watching Slumdog Millionaire, with a feel-good ending and a dance song. This is a more serious, proper sense of well-being that you deserve after going through that with James."
James Franco picked up a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for his central performance as Ralston.
The movie has been surrounded in award whispers since it hit the festival circuit earlier this year.
127 Hours is released 7th January.
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