Fox has stopped production on “Bohemian Rhapsody” due to “health matter” of director-producer Bryan Singer.
“Twentieth Century Fox Film has temporarily halted production on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ due to the unexpected unavailability of Bryan Singer,” the studio said Friday.
The director’s publicist said the halt was due to “a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family. Bryan hopes to get back to work on the film soon after the holidays.”
The shoot, based on a script by Justin Haythe. takes place in the U.K. with “Mr. Robot” star Rami Malek in the lead role as Freddie Mercury.
New Regency and GK Films are the production companies. The producers are Graham King, Singer, and Jim Beach. Denis O’Sullivan, Arnon Milchan, and Jane Rosenthal are exec producers.
Singer is know for directing “The Usual Suspects,” four X-Men movies including last year’s “X-Men: Apocalypse,” “Jack the Giant Slayer” and “Superman Returns.”
Ben Hardy is playing drummer Roger Taylor. Gwilym Lee (“The Hollow Crown”) portrays lead guitarist Brian May and Joe Mazzello (“The Social Network”) is bass guitarist John Deacon. Lucy Boynton is playing Mary Austin, Mercury’s companion.
Mercury wrote numerous hits for Queen, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Killer Queen,” “Somebody to Love,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and “We Are the Champions.”
Mercury formed Queen with May and Taylor in 1970 and died of HIV/AIDS in 1991 at the age of 45.
The film is set for release on December 25, 2018.