Director Bryan Singer Fired From Freddie Mercury Biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Bryan Singer (image via Instagram)

Just days ago, 20th Century Fox suspended production on the upcoming Freddy Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody noting director Bryan Singer's "unexpected unavailability."

Monday, however, Fox announced Singer is no longer with the project.

The Hollywood Reporter has the details:

“Bryan Singer is no longer the director of Bohemian Rhapsody," the studio said Monday in a statement.

The decision reflected an escalating clash between Singer and actor Rami Malek and was caused by the helmer being missing from the set, necessitating the Dec. 1 production shutdown of the film in which Malek stars as Freddie Mercury, frontman of the rock group Queen. The pic has been shooting in London.

In announcing the shutdown last week, producers Fox, New Regency and Graham King initially said filming was being suspended because of Singer's "unexpected unavailability."

Denying he acted unprofessionally, Singer claimed the studio refused to allow him to tend to "a gravely ill parent" as well as to his own health. “I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honor the legacy of Freddie Mercury and Queen," he said in a statement, "but Fox would not permit me to do so because I needed to temporarily put my health, and the health of my loved ones, first.”

According to reports, this isn't the first time Singer has disappeared during filming. He also went AWOL during the shoots for X-Men: Apocalypse and Superman Returns.