A few days ago it was rumored that Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic about Queen’s Freddie Mercury, wouldn’t get back to shooting until after the new year due to the firing of its director, Bryan Singer. It looks like that rumor can be put to rest because the film has found a replacement and production will be back on its feet as soon as next week.
Dexter Fletcher, the director of the films Eddie the Eagle and Wild Bill, has been chosen to sit in the director’s chair and unless he decides to reshoot scenes, he will only have about 2 weeks left in the production schedule to complete. Fletcher will then oversee postproduction and ensure that the film keeps its December 25, 2018, release date.
Singer was fired from the film because of a pattern of unreliability, culminating in him not returning from the Thanksgiving break and being missing in action for three days. He also is rumored to have clashed with the film’s star Rami Malek on several occasions. It was reported that they had worked out their differences but Singer’s behavior, similar to behavior he displayed while filming X-Men: Apocalypse for FOX, was troubling enough for the studio to begin thinking about a replacement even before he failed to show up to work after the holiday break.
Singer’s rep initially stated it was “health issues” that kept the director away but after his firing, Singer said that FOX refused him time to deal with a sick parent.
Apparently, the payday will be big for Fletcher but there will be a lot of work and there is the issue of the DGA credit. Singer finished a majority of the film and it’s unclear how both directors will be credited for the project.
