Controversial X-Men Director Planning a Hollywood Return After 8 Years

With the release of X-Men in 2000, Bryan Singer revolutionized the comic book movie, treating the source material with a seriousness and thematic depth that was previously uncommon. His success continued with the critically-acclaimed sequel X2: X-Men United before he jumped franchises to direct Superman Returns, a reverent homage to the classic Christopher Reeve films. Singer would later return to the mutant universe he helped build, directing X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse. However, his influential career was derailed by a series of controversies that culminated in his firing from the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody eight years ago, leading to a prolonged absence from Hollywood. Now, the controversial director is planning a return with a new project that could once again place him in the cinematic spotlight.

According to a report from Variety, Singer is returning with a new film that was shot in secrecy in Greece back in 2023. The movie, a father-son drama, stars Oscar-winner Jon Voight, an actor known for iconic roles in films like Mission: Impossible and Coming Home. The untitled project is set during Israel’s invasion and subsequent occupation of Lebanon in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Israeli filmmaker Yariv Horovitz, director of Rock the Kasbah, is also involved with the production, although his role remains undisclosed.

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While Singer’s mystery movie is being described by one source as a “really well-made film with awards-season potential,” it is also poised to ignite further controversy, with the same source’s assessment calling its subject matter “polarizing.” A distribution deal for the U.S. market is reportedly close to being finalized, though no release window has been announced.

Why Bryan Singer Hasn’t Made A Movie Since 2017

Bryan Singer’s departure from the Hollywood mainstream came in the wake of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct – for which he has never been charged, and always vehemently denied – and highly-publicized questions of professional issues on his final released film. His career began to publicly unravel in late 2017 when 20th Century Fox fired him from Bohemian Rhapsody with only a few weeks of filming left. The studio cited his “unexpected unavailability” after he failed to return to set following the Thanksgiving holiday. An explosive THR report from the time detailed a chaotic environment on set, including clashes between Singer and his cast, with one altercation allegedly involving Singer throwing an object. Though Dexter Fletcher was brought in to complete the film, the Directors Guild of America rules meant that Singer retained the sole directing credit on the Oscar-winning blockbuster.

The firing from Bohemian Rhapsody brought renewed attention to several misconduct allegations filed against Singer between 1997 and 2017. A detailed 2019 exposé in The Atlantic featured several new accusers, which led to Singer being dropped from a planned Red Sonja film and taking a step back from the industry and the public eye, eventually relocating and living in Israel for the past several years.