Production on the forthcoming Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody has been stalled by Fox, as the movie’s director Bryan Singer hasn’t come back to the set following Thanksgiving weekend.
‘A personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family’ has sidelined Singer, 52, from the set of the film, his rep told the BBC. ‘Bryan hopes to get back to work on the film soon after the holidays.’
The film, which features Rami Malek in the lead role of Freddie Mercury, as well as Aidan Gillen, Lucy Boynton and Mike Myers, has been in production in London.
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Under pressure: Director Bryan Singer, 52, hasn’t come back to the set of the Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody since Thanksgiving weekend, leading Fox to put the production on hold
Producers have been in discussion about replacing Singer as director, insiders told The Hollywood Reporter, noting that they were already growing impatient with Singer’s professionalism, as he’s frequently late to work.
On one occasion, a separate insider told the outlet that a cinematographer took over directing duties for Singer amid another ‘non-showing.’
According to the outlet, Singer has been AWOL on other sets in which he was the director, including 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and 2006’s Superman Returns.
The studio released a statement Friday saying, ‘Twentieth Century Fox Film has temporarily halted production on Bohemian Rhapsody due to the unexpected unavailability of Bryan Singer,’ with sources telling the publication that members of the crew were given letters of force majeure, explaining the unforeseen circumstances behind the work stoppage.
Showman: Rami Malek, 31, stars as the late Freddie Mercury in the upcoming biopic
On the outs? Singer, snapped at an Oscar party earlier this year, is annoying producers with his constant tardiness to the set of the film, THR reported
Singer has past been embroiled in controversies linked to his behavior dating back 20 years, as he was sued over the 1997 film Apt Pupil, starring the late Brad Renfro, amid claims from three underage boys that he made them strip to perform in a shower scene.
The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed, with officials citing insufficient evidence.
He was also named in a 2014 civil suit filed by a former child actor named Michael Egan III, who accused him and three other men of drugging and raping him when he was 15. Singer subsequently denied the accusations in the suit, which was subsequently withdrawn.
Pals: Singer in 2009 posed in NYC with Gary Goddard, the designer who actor Anthony Edwards accused of having molested him when he was 14
Collaborators: Singer posed with his Superman Returns star Kevin Spacey at the film’s 2006 premiere in LA. They also worked together on The Usual Suspects, which garnered Spacey his first Oscar
Singer’s come under increased scrutiny over the past two months amid the tidal wave of accusations linked to sexual harassment and abuse aimed at dozens of high-powered figures in show business and media, kickstarted by a pair of reports centered around allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein.
Singer last month took his Twitter page offline around the same period film students at USC created a Change.org petition seeking to take his name off the college’s Division of Cinema and Media Studies. As of Friday, it had more than 4,200 signatures, with a goal of 5,000.
Bohemian Rhapsody is tentatively slated to be released Christmas Day 2018.