Queen Biopic Update: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Production Halted Due to Director's 'Personal Health Matter'
Production for the highly anticipated Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been officially halted.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Fox was forced to the unforeseen change due to director Bryan Singer's "unexpected unavailability."
Singer failed to return to work on the Queen biopic, which features award-winning "Mr. Robot" star Rami Malek as the iconic frontman and rock legend Freddie Mercury, after Thanksgiving break.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
A statement provided by the director's representative to BBC reveals that his nonattendance is a result of "a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family."
Bryan hopes to get back to work on the film soon after the holidays.
BBC went on to say that Singer and another family member are apparently dealing with health issues, but no further details were provided.
A source that spoke to The Hollywood Reporter claims that the producers are nervous about the recent turn of events, how it could affect the production of the biopic, leading them to consider the possibility of replacing Singer.
Several more insiders who talked with the abovementioned publication also claim that even with Singer around, production is rarely smooth sailing due to his behavior. The director reportedly "routinely" shows up late.
As far as "non-showing" in the Queen biopic production, this is not his first. There was also apparently an incident that a cinematographer had no choice but to step in to take on the directing duties because Singer did not show up on set at all.
The director is becoming notorious for vanishing in the middle of production. This was the case for his films "X-Men: Apocalypse" and "Superman Returns."
Despite the production for the Queen biopic put on ice and in a state of uncertainty, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is still slated to hit the theaters on its original release date of Dec. 25, 2018.
