Rami Malek’s Queen biopic has been placed on pause due to directorial issues with Bryan Singer
Rock music fans everywhere are left in limbo as the fate of the Queen biopic appears uncertain. In response to director Bryan Singer’s “unexpected unavailability,” Fox has put Bohemian Rhapsody, the Freddie Mercury feature-length film on hold.
The news comes rather suddenly, as the movie — starring Rami Malek as the great Freddie Mercury himself — was already filming in London. On Friday, the crew received force majeure letters, which essentially untethers them from their contractual obligations. In addition, Fox released the following statement: “Twentieth Century Fox Film has temporarily halted production on Bohemian Rhapsody due to the unexpected unavailability of Bryan Singer.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Singer did not return to set after Thanksgiving break. A representative for the director claimed “a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family” was to blame according to BBC. However, this absence follows a series of difficult situations on set. For instance, Singer allegedly routinely showed up late, and in one instance didn’t show at all. Sounds fishy? Well, it kinda is.
Furthermore, this isn’t a first time disappearance for Singer. The former House director has performed vanishing acts on other film production sets, too. X-Men: Apocalypse and Superman Returns are two of them.
Despite the production hiccups, Malek’s promising turn as Mercury has set our expectations for the film high.
The Mr. Robot star has undergone some pretty impressive transformations for the role. From the costumes down to Mercury’s signature attitude, Malek is really nailing it.
Rami Malek is Freddie Mercury in this 'Bohemian Rhapsody' first look: https://t.co/MEBDvQymdB pic.twitter.com/z7N5OCWHuK
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) September 6, 2017
And he was pretty excited about it, too.
I just had my make up, hair and costume tests as #FreddieMercury and it was overwhelmingly cool and truly unforgettable. Pics coming soon.
— Rami Malek (@ItsRamiMalek) August 31, 2017
Needless to say, we’ve gotten our hopes up for the Queen biopic.
And it appears that we’re not the only ones.
Give my baby Rami Malek a new Queen director
— Ira Madison III (@ira) December 2, 2017
But people are already brainstorming ideas for other directors.
Actually, I wouldn't mind either Ridley Scott or Taika Waititi tackling the Queen biopic with Rami Malek. https://t.co/Z2pohlM0Wv
— SJW JamesBond Wants Nazis Banned (@mvbrat91) December 2, 2017
Hopefully, Fox can start production up again soon. Because we can’t wait much longer for Malek’s debut as Freddie Mercury!