Update: According to a new report, director Bryan Singer's next film has been put on hold. The Bohemian Rhapsody director was signed on to direct Red Sonja, a woman-led comic book film slated to release in 2020 with Millennium Films. Reporting from the Berlin Film Festival, Deadline says the film has been put on hold amid the recent claims in The Atlantic's exposé.
Singer has been accused of multiple counts of sexual assault and sexual misconduct, he denies all the accusations.
Deadline says the American Film Market confirmed that "the project is not on the slate at the moment and is not for sale at the EFM in Berlin." Variety mirrors this report, quoting a spokeswoman for Avi Lerner, the CEO of Millennium, who said, "The project is not on the slate at the moment and is not for sale at the European Film Market in Berlin."
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This story was originally published January 28.
The controversies surrounding fired Bohemian Rhapsody director Bryan Singer will not lose him his next directing job, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Singer has a history of sexual misconduct allegations against him, including two separate rape accusations dating back to 1999 and 2003. Both boys who allege Singer's abuse were 17 at the time. This week, a number of new sexual misconduct allegations against Singer came to light in a disturbing article in The Atlantic. These stories range from men who claim to have had sex with Singer when they were underage, to one man who alleges Singer groped him on the set of 1998 film Apt Pupil. Singer has denied all the allegations, vehemently.
One may wonder what is to become of Red Sonja, the woman-led comic book film which Singer became attached to in September of 2018. It’s clear that, at this moment, Singer will continue to work in Hollywood, despite the accusations.
In a statement to Refinery29, Millennium Films producer Avi Lerner said this of Singer’s involvement in Red Sonja:
"I continue to be in development for Red Sonja and Bryan Singer continues to be attached. The over $800 million Bohemian Rhapsody has grossed, making it the highest grossing drama in film history, is testament to his remarkable vision and acumen. I know the difference between agenda driven fake news and reality, and I am very comfortable with this decision. In America people are innocent until proven guilty."
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In response to Lerner's statement, many have pointed out that Lerner himself has been accused of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Though Singer will not lose his job over these accusations — and it is true that he has not been convicted of any crime — other men in his position have, indeed, lost their jobs. Kevin Spacey, whom Singer directed in The Usual Suspects, was fired from House of Cards after allegations of sexual misconduct came to light. Spacey recently plead not guilty to sexual assault charges in Nantucket.
Refinery29 has reached out to a representative to Singer for comment.