Report: Bryan Singer Rape Allegations May Force Him Out of X-Men Apocalypse

The 15-year-old statutory rape allegations against X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer may force him out of the director's chair for the lucrative superhero franchise's next installment, reports Radar Online.

A source reportedly close to the production reports that representatives for Singer are working to reconcile terms with the studio, since he's been in the frame to direct the film for some time now.

The source may be somewhat out of date, though; Radar reports that they're eagerly watching box office returns on Days of Future Past, which doesn't make a lot of sense given the fact that it's already had its massive opening all over the world and is the top-grossing film in the X-Men franchise. If box office gross was going to make a difference one way or the other, it seems difficult to believe that decision-making process is still ongoing.

What's potentially more believable is that the studio is worried an ongoing lawsuit could impact production timetables, since the movie is already on a pretty tight one.

"They don't really care whether he's innocent or guilty — they're only concerned with the bottom line, which is giving him another $250 to $350 million to make Apocalypse. There have been talks about who else he'd let direct it, with him producing, but those led to heated arguments and walk outs," Radar's source alleged.

Singer is being sued by a former model and actor who alleges he was seduced by the director in 1999 when he was 17 years old, taken to Hawaii and sexually assaulted. Singer claims that he can prove he was not in Hawaii during the dates claimed and that he was busy making the first X-Men movie at the time.