‘Red Sonja’ Movie Put On Hold In Wake Of Recent Bryan Singer Allegations
By Chris Evangelista/Feb. 11, 2019 10:30 am EST
In September of 2018, Singer was announced as the new director, and his hiring immediately raised eyebrows. Even if you wanted to ignore the allegations of sexual misconduct against the director, it’s hard to deny his professional problems as well. Singer has allegedly made a habit of not showing up to his sets for years, and this behavior finally came to a head when he was fired from Bohemian Rhapsody. Dexter Fletcher was brought in to finish the film, but Singer still received a directorial credit in the end.
Despite this behind-the-scenes turmoil, Bohemian Rhapsody has become a surprise awards season contender, which has brought Singer’s behavior back into the spotlight. On January 23, the day after Bohemian Rhapsody picked up five Academy Award nominations, The Atlantic published a disturbing new piece in which Singer’s alleged victims told their stories – stories that stretched back for 20 years.
After the Atlantic story broke, there was a renewed outcry against Millennium Films for dishing out a heavy payday to Singer for Red Sonja. At first, Millennium Films CEO Avi Lerner issued a tone-deaf defense of Singer, stating: “The over $800 million Bohemian Rhapsody has grossed, making it the highest grossing drama in film history, is testament to his remarkable vision and acumen. I know the difference between agenda driven fake news and reality, and I am very comfortable with this decision. In America people are innocent until proven otherwise.”
After backlash to Lerner’s statements, the producer attempted to walk things back by saying his statement “came out the wrong way” and that he thinks “victims should be heard and this allegation should be taken very, very seriously.” And now, Red Sonja is on hold again. Hopefully, when and if Red Sonja picks up again, it will be without Singer. Heck, maybe they’ll even hire a female director. I hear Hollywood has one or two of them.
