Oscar-nominated Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek was just honored at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and he took the opportunity to address the allegations against director Bryan Singer. Malek told the crowd that his situation with Singer "was not pleasant." Singer had been fired from the film with a few weeks left to filming. Just recently, Singer was met with additional allegations of sexual misconduct against underage boys.
Rami Malek was asked about the claims against Bryan Singer during the film festival panel discussion, and here's how Malek responded:
My heart goes out to anyone who has to live through anything like what I've heard and what is out there. It's awful, it's remarkable that this happens, I can appreciate so much what they've been through and how difficult this must be for them. In the light of the #MeToo era that this somehow seems to exist after that, it's a horrible thing.
The Freddie Mercury star also hinted to some darkness in his own experience working with Bryan Singer:
I've sat here and talked about how everyone deserves a voice and anyone who wants to talk about what happened with Bryan deserves to have their voice heard. In my situation with Bryan, it was not pleasant, not at all. And that's about what I can say about it at this point. ... For anyone who is seeking any solace in all of this, Bryan Singer was fired. Bryan Singer was fired, I don't think that was something anyone saw coming but I think that had to happen and it did.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rami Malek was visibly emotional after talking about his unpleasant situation with Bryan Singer.
Bryan Singer was fired from Bohemian Rhapsody with fewer than three weeks left to filming, but the reasoning was not connected to any sexual misconduct allegations. From Singer's perspective, he asked for time off to go back home to handle an ailing parent's health concerns, and Fox denied him. Director Dexter Fletcher was hired to finish the film, and did add a few scenes, but most of the film was by Bryan Singer and he retained his director's credit.
THR reports that Bryan Singer could make more than $40 million from Bohemian Rhapsody, which was a very profitable movie, making more than $800 million worldwide on a budget of just over $50 million. Singer will also reportedly get an upfront fee of $10 million to direct Red Sonja.
Bohemian Rhapsody was a surprise winner of the 2019 Golden Globe for Best Drama, and it has five Oscar nominations going into the 91st Academy Awards. Rami Malek -- who worked so hard to transform into Freddie Mercury -- has an excellent chance of picking up his first Oscar for Best Actor for playing the Queen frontman.
We'll find out if Rami Malek wins, and if Bohemian Rhapsody can continue to defy its critics, when the 2019 Oscars air Sunday, February 24 on ABC. Here's what's playing in theaters so far this year.
