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Bryan Singer Bites The Dust As Director Of Queen Biopic

Madison Medeiros
Last Updated 5 December 2017, 3:45
Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Update: Bryan Singer responded to his firing on Monday night and accused Fox of being "unwilling to accommodate" his need for time off to tend to an ill parent, Variety reports.
"Bohemian Rhapsody is a passion project of mine," Singer said in the statement obtained by Variety. "With fewer than three weeks to shoot remaining, I asked Fox for some time off so I could return to the U.S. to deal with pressing health matters concerning one of my parents. This was a very taxing experience, which ultimately took a serious toll on my own health. Unfortunately, the studio was unwilling to accommodate me and terminated my services. This was not my decision and it was beyond my control."
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Singer also acknowledged past tensions between himself and star Rami Malek, but didn't address previous claims that he'd ever lashed out on set. Instead, he asserted that the two had resolved their "creative differences" and that he "wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honor the legacy of Queen." He concluded by stating that ultimately, "Fox would not permit me to do so because I needed to temporarily put my health, and the health of my loved ones, first."
This article was originally published on December 4, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Twentieth Century Fox has made the decision to fire Queen biopic director Bryan Singer after "unexplained" absences and tensions on set, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on Monday.
"Bryan Singer is no longer the director of Bohemian Rhapsody," the studio told THR in a statement.
Unlike the song by the same title, they really do "let him go" in this version.
THR reports that the atmosphere on set had been somewhat chaotic for a while as Singer and the film's star Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury) butted heads over the director's alleged "unreliability and unprofessionalism." In addition to occasionally not coming to set while the film was in production, THR notes that Singer had a volatile streak and once threw something.
The problem was reportedly made worse when Singer failed to report back after the Thanksgiving holiday, prompting Fox to issue a statement on December 1 declaring they'd halted production due to his "unexpected availability."
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A representative for Singer told the BBC that the absences were caused by "a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family," though no specifics were provided.
In the meantime, THR reports Fox is actively searching to fill Singer's position. At this time, it's unclear whether the expected December 2018 release date will be impacted.
Though none of the reports indicate that Singer's firing has anything to do with allegations of sexual misconduct, some on Twitter are speculating this could have something to do with the final decision.
In 2014, actor Michael Egan accused Singer of raping him in 1999, when he was just 17. He also alleged that Singer would be willing to trade sex for work, a manipulative scenario we're hearing more about in the wake of Harvey Weinstein's downfall.
Others have made the point that Hollywood has been far too lenient with white male directors, claiming that a woman or a person of colour would have been fired following one of the first offences.
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