Earlier this week, Twentieth Century Fox fired Bryan Singer from Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Well, it appears the film has found a new band leader: Dexter Fletcher. Fletcher directed Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) in 2016’s Eddie the Eagle, a biopic about an unlikely-to-succeed ski jumper who surprised the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Besides directing, Fletcher has also acted for over forty years, appearing on countless television shows and films such as Kick-Ass and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Fox promptly fired Singer after the X-Men director failed to return to set after the Thanksgiving holiday. Singer claimed to be caring for “a gravely ill parent,” while the film’s star, Rami Malek, cried foul, characterizing Singer as unreliable and unprofessional. Singer’s unexpected absence shut down production, forcing Fox to take immediate action.
It remains to be seen how Singer’s unceremonious departure from the film will affect his career. However, let’s not forget that Singer, like Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, and Dustin Hoffman, has been accused of sexual abuse multiple times. In fact, Jessica Chastain recently called Singer out for his past behavior. It’s possible that Singer’s days as a Hollywood power player are numbered.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, production on Bohemian Rhapsody will resume as early as next week.
Bohemian Rhapsody is still set for a December 25 release.