A $40 million pay day, after you’ve been fired from a project for allegedly failing to fulfil your duties? Nice work if you can get it…
According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Bryan Singer is looking at bumper earnings from the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, with the site reporting that the filmmaker’s upfront and backend deals will reportedly net him around $40 million.
Singer, who was recently hit with a fresh wave of sexual assault and misconduct allegations, was fired from Bohemian Rhapsody with just two weeks of filming remaining after failing to show up on set for work. He was replaced by Dexter Fletcher, although he retained his director credit on the movie, which has grossed a whopping $817 million worldwide.
Typically, backend compensation is forfeited when a director is fired for cause, but as Singer remained credited as director ont he movie, the trade reports that he most likely remains entitled to a percentage of the $50 million-budgeted film’s profits.
Singer is also looking at a $10 million upfront deal to direct Red Sonja, with Millennium Films’ Avi Lerner confirming last week that the filmmaker remains attached to the project, despite the latest allegations against him.
SEE ALSO: Rami Malek says he “was not aware of” Bryan Singer allegations before Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Bohemian Rhapsody features a cast that includes Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor, Gwilym Lee as Brian May, Joseph Mazzello as John Deacon, Lucy Boynton as Mary Austin, Aaron McCusker as Jim Hutton, Aidan Gillen as John Reid, Tom Hollander as Jim Beach, Allen Leech as Paul Prenter and Mike Myers as Ray Foster.
