Twentieth Century Fox has found their replacement director for their in-production Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody in Dexter Fletcher.
Fletcher is stepping in for Bryan Singer, who the studio fired Monday after reports of conflict between him and star Rami Malek as well as being a no-show at the film’s London set since Thanksgiving. Singer countered in a statement that he was caring for a sick parent.
Production is scheduled to resume on the film next week. It had been shut down last Friday, December 1, in the wake of Singer’s ten-day disappearance. During Singer’s periodic absences cinematographer Thomas Newton Sigel stepped in and directed several days to keep the production from falling too far behind schedule
Fletcher started his career in front of the camera in 1976’s Bugsy Malone and has continued all the way up to the resent day with recent credits in such films as Stardust and Kick-Ass. He made his directorial debut with 2011’s Wild Bill. His most recent film was 2016’s Eddie the Eagle, a dramedy about the underdog British 1988 Winter Olympics ski jumper.
Even though Fletcher is completing the film, he probably won’t receive an on-screen acknowledgement for his work. Singer has already filmed a bulk of the movie and unless Fletcher reshoots some of that, Directors Guild rules won’t allow him the credit.
