Director Bryan Singer took to Instagram to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press for honoring Bohemian Rhapsody at last night’s Golden Globes, prompting a wave of anger and criticism in response. Among the many winners that were announced, Bohemian Rhapsody walked away with two awards. Star Rami Malek was named ‘Best Actor’ for his turn as the legendary Freddie Mercury, while the film overall was awarded ‘Best Picture’ in the Drama category. The victory was widely considered a surprising upset, with many previously predicting that A Star Is Born would claim the top prize. Although Malek’s performance was universally praised, the film itself was frequently criticized for being somewhat sanitized and not doing the iconic singer justice.
The film was plagued with behind-the-scenes issues over the course of filming. Malek reportedly complained to Fox about Singer’s unprofessionalism and extensive absences from the set. Though Singer maintains that the issues stemmed from having to take care of a sick parent, many believed the true reasons were tied with the numerous sexual assault allegations being levied against him. Whatever the case, Singer was ultimately fired from directorial duties. He was swiftly replaced by Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman), who oversaw the remainder of shooting. Despite the issues, Bohemian Rhapsody dominated at the global box office, ultimately becoming the highest grossing music biopic ever. Due to the Directors Guild of America’s rules, however, Singer was able to retain credit as director.
When claiming the awards, neither Malek nor any of the film’s producers made mention of Singer. The former X-Men director, however, wasn’t quite so quiet. As reported by Yahoo, Singer took to social media to express his gratitude. Posting a behind-the-scenes image, Singer can be seen in the director’s chair as he oversees a recreation of the famous ‘I Want To Break Free’ music video. The image also features Malek and Ben Hardy, who plays Roger Taylor in the film.
Singer first came to prominence with The Usual Suspects and Apt Pupil. The latter film also saw the emergence of allegations against him, when a group of teenagers filed a lawsuit alleging he asked them to film a nude shower scene for his own gratification. The former, meanwhile, was the first of many collaborations with Kevin Spacey - who recently pled not guilty to sexual assault charges of his own.
Bohemian Rhapsody’s win - and the fact Singer will receive a trophy - has already resulted in ire. Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) took to Twitter during the prestigious event to complain that the accusations surrounding Singer were seemingly being erased. Many were quick to agree with her. Singer’s latest post is sure to only add fuel to that fire. Although the post has already amassed over 26,000 likes and more than a few messages of support, the response has been largely critical. Many have demanded that he relinquish his award and allow Fletcher the true credit and recognition.
Whether or not Singer’s career will remain affected in the long-term remains to be seen, but it’s already been reported that he’s in talks to direct a Red Sonja adaptation. Whatever the case, his post will most assuredly do little to help the public perception of him held by many. Alternately, it’ll probably have little to no impact on the already gigantic success of Bohemian Rhapsody itself, as it gears up for its Blu-ray release and, if the Golden Globes really do serve as a pre-cursor, potentially an Oscar nomination or two.
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Source: Yahoo
