Bohemian Rhapsody, the Rami Malek-fronted Freddie Mercury biopic, has halted production due to the “unexpected unavailability” of director Bryan Singer, THR reports.
The film has been in production throughout the fall, but sources tell THR that Singer just didn’t show up after the Thanksgiving holiday. Producers of the film and executives at Fox are reportedly weighing replacing the director, whose behavior has been (again, according to anonymous sources) erratic throughout the shoot, including earlier late arrivals and no-shows. Though, as THR notes, “This is not first time that Singer has disappeared during a production. He momentarily vanished during the shooting of 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and 2006’s Superman Returns.” Soooooooo apparently you can just do that! And keep getting work!
A representative for the filmmaker told the BBC that Singer’s absence was due to “a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family.” And you can choose to believe that! You can also note that the entertainment industry is in the midst of a watershed reckoning of sexual harassment and assault claims, and accusations of less-than-savory behavior from the filmmaker is such an open secret in the industry, he’s even featured prominently in a documentary called An Open Secret .
Anyway. Stay tuned!
UPDATE: “Bryan Singer is no longer the director of Bohemian Rhapsody,” Fox told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement Monday afternoon.