Director Bryan Singer Fired From Queen Biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Production

Following reports of the production shutdown on the Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” 20th Century Fox confirms that Bryan Singer has been fired from the director’s chair, according to an exclusive by The Hollywood Reporter. On December 1, the studio announced the production halt and said that it was due to Singer’s “unexpected unavailability.”
Singer’s representative went on to say that the director had to deal with “a personal health matter concerning him and his family,” hence the unavailability. However, as the studio confirms, his firing comes after a series of set drama transpired during the production of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The studio’s spokesman Dan Berger confirmed the news today by saying, “Bryan Singer is no longer the director of Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Singer’s firing follows several times he deliberately failed to show up during production, forcing cinematographer Thomas Newton Sigel to take over the helm temporarily. This behavior from Singer also prompted Tom Hollander, who’s currently playing Queen manager Jim Beach, to depart from the role, but ultimately went back after much persuasion. Freddie Mercury actor Rami Malek, on the other hand, also complained to the studio about Singer’s “unreliability and unprofessionalism.” The altercation between him and Singer didn’t lead to a brawl, but it did make Singer throw an object. However, both Malek and Singer settled their differences before the production resumed. According to another THR insider, Singer reportedly has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the drama that happened on set.

Bryan Singer Issues Statement on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Firing

Singer, on the other hand, issued a response expressing his disbelief at his firing. The director says that the studio fired him after he prioritized the health of his parent over the film.
Check out Singer’s full statement below (via TheWrap):
Bohemian Rhapsody is a passion project of mine. 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. Rumors that my unexpected departure from the film was sparked by a dispute I had with Rami Malek are not true. While, at times, we did have creative differences on set, Rami and I successfully put those differences behind us and continued to work on the film together until just prior to Thanksgiving. I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honor the legacy of Freddie Mercury and Queen, but Fox would not permit me to do so because I needed to temporarily put my health, and the health of my loved ones, first.
20th Century Fox will be hiring and announcing a new director for the film in the coming days.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” is slated for release on December 25, 2018.