Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965)
[ is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of ]Bad Hat Harry Productions
Bad Hat Harry Productions is an American film and television production company founded in 1994 by director Bryan Singer. It has produced such films as ''The Usual Suspects'' and the ''X-Men'' film series, as well as the television series ''Hous ...
and has produced almost all of the films he has directed.
After graduating from the University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
, Singer directed his first short film, '' Lion's Den'' (1988). On the basis of that film, he received financing for his next film, '' Public Access'' (1993), which was a co-winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. In the mid-1990s, Singer received critical acclaim for directing the neo-noir crime thriller ''The Usual Suspects
''The Usual Suspects'' is a 1995 neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwait ...
'' (1995). He followed this with another thriller, ''Apt Pupil
''Apt Pupil'' (1982) is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in the 1982 novella collection ''Different Seasons'', subtitled "Summer of Corruption".
Format of the story
''Apt Pupil'' consists of 30 chapters, many of which are headed by ...
'' (1998), an adaptation of a Stephen King novella about a boy's fascination with a Nazi war criminal. In the 2000s, he became known for big budget superhero films such as ''X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...
'' (2000), for which Singer won the 2000 Saturn Award for Best Direction
The Saturn Award for Best Director (or Saturn Award for Best Direction) is one of the annual awards given by the American Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. The Saturn Awards, which are the oldest film-specialized awards to rewa ...
, its sequel '' X2'' (2003), and ''Superman Returns
''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the sixth and fina ...
'' (2006). He then directed the World War II historical thriller ''Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...
'' (2008), co-wrote/co-produced '' X-Men: First Class'' (2011), and directed the fantasy adventure film ''Jack the Giant Slayer
''Jack the Giant Slayer'' (previously titled ''Jack the Giant Killer'') is a 2013 American heroic fantasy, fantasy adventure film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, from a story by Lemke a ...
'' (2013), as well as two more ''X-Men'' films, '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'' (2014) and '' X-Men: Apocalypse'' (2016). Singer also directed the Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
biographical film ''Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack o ...
'' (2018), although he was fired from the film shortly before its completion in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct.
Early life
Singer was born in New York City and was adopted by Grace Sinden, an environmental activist, and Norbert Dave Singer, a corporate executive. He grew up in a Jewish household in West Windsor Township, New Jersey
West Windsor is a township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. Located within the Raritan Valley region, the township is an outer-ring suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area, as defined by the United States Census B ...
. In his early teens, he started making 8mm films as well as experimenting with photography. He attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School (now renamed West-Windsor Plainsboro High School South), graduating in 1984. He studied filmmaking for two years at the School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
History
This school was started by ...
in New York, and later transferred to the USC School of Cinematic Arts
The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for Sc ...
in Los Angeles where he followed the Critical studies program.
Career
1980s–1990s
Singer directed a short film in 1988 called ''Lion's Den'' involving a number of friends, including actor Ethan Hawke
Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...
, whom he knew from his childhood in New Jersey, and editor John Ottman
John Ottman (born July 6, 1964) is an American film composer and editor. He is best known for collaborating with director Bryan Singer, composing and/or editing many of his films, including '' Public Access'' (1993), ''The Usual Suspects'' (199 ...
, whom he had met while working on a friend's short film. After a screening of ''Lion's Den'', Singer was approached by someone from Tokuma Japan Productions, a Japanese company interested in funding a series of low-budget films. Singer pitched a concept that eventually became the film '' Public Access'' (1993). Ottman again served as editor but this time also composed the score for the film. At the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, the film was named as co-winner of the Grand Jury Prize
A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...
with ''Ruby in Paradise
''Ruby in Paradise'' is a 1993 film written and directed by Victor Nunez, starring Ashley Judd, Todd Field, Bentley Mitchum, Allison Dean, and Dorothy Lyman. An homage to ''Northanger Abbey'' by Jane Austen, the film is a character study about a ...
''.
In 1994, he founded the production company Bad Hat Harry Productions, in homage to Steven Spielberg and the famous line from '' Jaws''. Singer followed this by directing ''The Usual Suspects'', which was screened out of competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival
The 48th Cannes Film Festival was held from 17 to 28 May 1995. The Palme d'Or went to '' Underground'' by Emir Kusturica.
The festival opened with ''La Cité des enfants perdus'', directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and closed with '' The Quick and t ...
. It was a success, winning Christopher McQuarrie
Christopher McQuarrie is an American filmmaker. He received the BAFTA Award, Independent Spirit Award, and Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the neo-noir mystery film ''The Usual Suspects'' (1995).
He made his directorial debut wit ...
an Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...
, and actor Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolade ...
an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1998, Singer obtained the rights to adapt Stephen King's novella ''Apt Pupil
''Apt Pupil'' (1982) is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in the 1982 novella collection ''Different Seasons'', subtitled "Summer of Corruption".
Format of the story
''Apt Pupil'' consists of 30 chapters, many of which are headed by ...
'', a thriller about an all-American boy discovering that a Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
war criminal lives in his neighborhood. Singer's film adaptation starred Sir Ian McKellen, Brad Renfro
Brad Barron Renfro (July 25, 1982 – January 15, 2008) was an American actor. He made his film debut at the age of 11 with a starring role in '' The Client'' (1994). He went on to appear in 21 feature films and won several awards.
Prior to bei ...
, and David Schwimmer
David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, director and producer. He gained worldwide recognition for portraying Ross Geller in the sitcom ''Friends'', for which he received a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primeti ...
.
2000s
In the early 2000s, Singer was hoping to direct '' Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'' based on the Chuck Barris book of the same name. The film was later directed by George Clooney for Miramax Films
Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California.
It was initially a lead ...
with Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for appearing in independent films and also as a character actor portraying a wide variety of roles both comedic and dramatic in films such as '' Lawn Dogs'' (19 ...
in the lead role. In February 2001, Singer was attempting to produce a new '' Battlestar Galactica'' television series for Studios USA
Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a predece ...
(now NBC Universal
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
Television Studio) Speaking to ''BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
'', Singer said he was "confident that the ''Galactica'' brand is a sleeping giant. It was a show I watched during its initial run, from the pilot to the final episode. The essence and the brand name is quite potent in a climate where there's a great deficit of sci-fi programming." Singer eventually left the project, which was produced by another team on the Sci Fi Channel
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
.
In mid-2004, Singer was in negotiations to direct '' X-Men: The Last Stand'' for Fox, when Singer agreed to direct ''Superman Returns
''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the sixth and fina ...
'' for Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
In consequence, Fox terminated its production deal with Bad Hat Harry Productions, Singer's production company.
''Superman Returns'' was filmed in Australia in 2005, and was released on June 28, 2006. Singer claimed that he had always admired and identified with the character, citing the fact that he and Superman are both orphans, noting that he was inspired by the 1978 film starring Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, best known for playing the title character in the film '' Superman'' (1978) and three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey ...
and the comics of Alex Ross.
In August 2009, Universal Pictures announced that Singer would direct and produce a big screen reimagining of the '' Battlestar Galactica'' television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
of the late-1970s, which would not draw any material from the Syfy Channel reimagined series.
On September 10, 2009, it was announced NBC has partnered with Singer and Bryan Fuller to adapt Augusten Burroughs
Augusten Xon Burroughs (born Christopher Richter Robison, October 23, 1965) is an American writer best known for his ''New York Times'' bestselling memoir '' Running with Scissors'' (2002).
Early life
Christopher Richter Robison was born in ...
's '' Sellevision'' into a series about a fictional home shopping network, according to ''The Hollywood Reporter''. Neither project was ultimately produced.
At the premiere of James Cameron's ''Avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...
'' on December 16, 2009, Singer confirmed that he would be directing ''Jack the Giant Slayer
''Jack the Giant Slayer'' (previously titled ''Jack the Giant Killer'') is a 2013 American heroic fantasy, fantasy adventure film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, from a story by Lemke a ...
'' (2013) for Warner Bros, and that he had signed on to do '' X-Men: First Class'', but conflicts between the two projects led to Singer being only a producer and co-screenwriter on ''First Class'', with Matthew Vaughn
Matthew Allard de Vere Drummond (born Matthew Allard Robert Vaughn; 7 March 1971) is an English filmmaker. He has produced films including ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' (1998) and '' Snatch'' (2000), and directed ''Layer Cake'' (2004 ...
taking over directorial duties.
2010s
In October 2012, it was announced that Singer would direct the next movie in the series, '' X-Men: Days of Future Past''; Vaughn stayed on as a producer and screenwriter, and the film was released in May 2014. Singer produced the commercials for the ice cream Magnum Gold, which featured Benicio del Toro
Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rican actor and producer. He has garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen ...
. In 2012, Singer was the executive producer alongside Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian and author. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series '' Glee'' (2009–2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recog ...
of the short film, ''Ronny and I'', directed by Guy Shalem that screened at Outfest and Cannes. Singer directed another X-Men film, '' X-Men: Apocalypse'', that he also produced and co-wrote with Simon Kinberg
Simon David Kinberg (born August 2, 1973) is a British-born American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film franchise, and has also written such films as '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' and '' Sherlock Holmes''. He ...
, Dan Harris, and Michael Dougherty
Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and animator, best known for the cult horror film ''Trick 'r Treat'' (2007), and the monster film '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019) ...
. ''Days of Future Past'' stars Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...
, James McAvoy
James McAvoy (; born 21 April 1979) is a Scottish actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in '' The Near Room'' (1995) and appeared mostly on television until 2003, when his feature film career began. His notable television work includes ...
, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Caradoc Hoult (born 7 December 1989) is an English actor. His body of work includes supporting work in big-budget mainstream productions and starring roles in independent projects in both the American and the British film industries ...
, Jennifer Lawrence, and Evan Peters
Evan Thomas Peters (born January 20, 1987) is an American actor. He is known for his multiple roles on the FX anthology series '' American Horror Story''; as Detective Colin Zabel in the HBO crime drama limited series '' Mare of Easttown'', w ...
re-teamed with Singer for ''Apocalypse''.
In 2015, Singer, Bad Hat Harry Productions, and Same Name Productions started to collaborate on a documentary project with Guy Shalem. The documentary was set to explore the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through the vantage point of a dynamic Arab-Israeli activist.
In 2016, Fox announced that Singer would direct its version of ''20,000 Leagues under the Sea
''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (french: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne.
The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre-J ...
'', after having been asked to participate on the elaboration of the movie's script.
After the release of ''X-Men: Apocalypse'', Singer expressed interest in directing a solo Mystique film starring Jennifer Lawrence.
In November 2016, it was announced that Singer would direct the Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
biopic ''Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack o ...
''. He produced the film with Jim Beach
Henry James Beach (born 9 March 1942), known as Jim Beach or "Miami" Beach, is a British lawyer and band manager, best known for being the long-time manager of the rock band Queen, its individual members and the comedy group Monty Python. He ...
and Graham King
Graham King is an English film producer. King was nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing the films '' The Aviator'' (2004), '' Hugo'' (2011), ''Bohemian Rhapsody'' (2018), and winning for ''The Departed'' (200 ...
. On December 1, 2017, ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' reported that 20th Century Fox had temporarily halted production due to the "unexpected unavailability" of Singer, with sources saying that he had failed to return to the set after the Thanksgiving week. Producers were nervous about the state of production and started discussions about potentially replacing him, at which point cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel
Newton Thomas Sigel, (born August 1955; sometimes credited as Tom Sigel) is an American cinematographer best known for his collaborations with director Bryan Singer on films like ''The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie,'' and the ''X-Men'' film franch ...
may have stepped in to direct during Singer's absence. Singer's absence was reportedly due to "a personal health matter concerning imand his family", and Singer's representatives stated that he was visiting his ill mother. However, other sources stated that the film's lead actor Rami Malek and the crew had grown tired of Singer's behavior; Singer had reportedly shown up late to set on multiple occasions, and has repeatedly clashed with Malek. On December 4, 2017, Singer was fired as a director with about two weeks remaining in principal photography. Singer's replacement Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher (born 31 January 1966) is an English film director and actor. He has appeared in Guy Ritchie's ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'', as well as in television shows such as the comedy drama '' Hotel Babylon'' and the HBO serie ...
is quoted saying he came in and "just finished it up, really." 20th Century Fox terminated his Bad Hat Harry Productions
Bad Hat Harry Productions is an American film and television production company founded in 1994 by director Bryan Singer. It has produced such films as ''The Usual Suspects'' and the ''X-Men'' film series, as well as the television series ''Hous ...
deal with the studio. Singer still received directorial credit for ''Bohemian Rhapsody'' due to a Directors Guild of America
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...
ruling that only a sole director can receive credit.
At the end of January 2017, Singer signed on to direct an action adventure pilot in the X-Men Universe entitled '' The Gifted''. The show was broadcast on Fox and canceled after two seasons.
Personal life
Singer is bisexual, and has said that growing up Jewish and a sexual minority influenced his movies. He and actress Michelle Clunie
Michelle Renee Clunie (born November 7, 1969) is an American actress and former ballet dancer. A native of Portland, Oregon, Clunie studied ballet from an early age, earning a scholarship at the Academy of Professional Ballet. In 1992, she starre ...
have a son who was born in January 2015.
Sexual assault allegations
1997 lawsuit
In 1997, a 14-year-old extra accused Singer of asking him and other minors to film a shower scene in the nude for the film ''Apt Pupil
''Apt Pupil'' (1982) is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in the 1982 novella collection ''Different Seasons'', subtitled "Summer of Corruption".
Format of the story
''Apt Pupil'' consists of 30 chapters, many of which are headed by ...
''. Two other adolescent boys, 16 and 17 years old, later supported the 14-year-old's claim. The boys claimed trauma from the experience and filed a civil suit against the filmmakers alleging infliction of emotional distress, negligence
Negligence (Lat. ''negligentia'') is a failure to exercise appropriate and/or ethical ruled care expected to be exercised amongst specified circumstances. The area of tort law known as ''negligence'' involves harm caused by failing to act as a ...
, and invasion of privacy
The right to privacy is an element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of individuals. Over 150 national constitutions mention the right to privacy. On 10 December 194 ...
, and alleged that they were filmed for sexual gratification.[ p. 223] While some sources state that the civil case was dismissed due to insufficient evidence, others indicate that it was settled out of court. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office declined to press criminal charges.
2014 lawsuits and allegations
In April 2014, Singer was accused in a civil lawsuit of sexual assault of a minor. According to the suit filed by attorney Jeff Herman, Singer is alleged to have drugged and raped actor and model Michael Egan in Hawaii after meeting him at parties hosted by convicted sex offender
A sex offender (sexual offender, sex abuser, or sexual abuser) is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and legal jurisdiction. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crim ...
Marc Collins-Rector in the late 1990s. Singer's attorney called the allegations "completely fabricated" and said Singer planned to countersue. Singer denied the allegations in a statement, calling them "outrageous, vicious, and completely false". On May 22, 2014, Singer's attorney presented evidence to Federal District Judge Susan Oki Mollway
Susan Oki Mollway (born November 6, 1950) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii and the first East Asian woman ever appointed to a life-time position on the federal bench.
Early l ...
stating that neither Singer nor Egan was in Hawaii at the time. In early August 2014, Egan sought to withdraw his lawsuit via a Request for Court Order of Dismissal, and asked that it be granted "without prejudice or an award of costs or fees, in the interest of justice." Later Egan was sentenced over unrelated charges of conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud.
In May 2014, another lawsuit was filed by attorney Jeff Herman on behalf of an anonymous British man. Both Singer and producer Gary Goddard
Gary Goddard (born July 18, 1954) is an American producer and director who co-founded the Landmark Entertainment Group. In 2002, he left it to form Gary Goddard Entertainment (GGE), later known as the Goddard Group, an entertainment design firm ...
(who was also named separately in the first case) were accused of sexually assaulting "John Doe No. 117". According to the lawsuit, Goddard and Singer met the man for sex when he was a minor and engaged in acts of "gender violence" against him while in London for the premiere of ''Superman Returns
''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the sixth and fina ...
''. The charge against Singer in this case was dismissed, at the accuser's request, in July 2014.
Singer was cited in the 2014 documentary film on child sexual abuse in Hollywood, ''An Open Secret
An, AN, aN, or an may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Airlinair (IATA airline code AN)
* Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy
* AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey
* Anime North, a Canadian an ...
'', but details of Egan's allegations were omitted after Egan withdrew his lawsuit during the film's production. Author Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author, screenwriter, short-story writer, and director. Ellis was first regarded as one of the so-called literary Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique, as a ...
alleged that two of his former partners had attended underage sex parties hosted by Singer and fellow director Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich (; born 10 November 1955) is a German film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is widely known for his science fiction and disaster films and has been called a "master of disaster" within the industry. His films, most of wh ...
.
2017 lawsuit
On December 7, 2017, Cesar Sanchez-Guzman filed a lawsuit in Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
against Singer, alleging that he had been raped at age 17 by the director in 2003. Singer denied the allegations and removed himself from the public eye. After the lawsuit was announced, the USC School of Cinematic Arts
The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for Sc ...
removed Singer's name from its Division of Cinema & Media Studies program, an action which had previously been petitioned for by students at the school due to the many allegations against him.
In June 2019, Sanchez-Guzman's bankruptcy trustee Nancy James recommended that a $150,000 settlement be approved, citing the absence of evidence that Singer attended the yacht party where the alleged assault took place. Singer's attorney Andrew Brettler said that Singer has maintained his innocence and that the "decision to resolve the matter with the bankruptcy trustee was purely a business one". Much of the settlement would go towards paying creditors and the administrators of the case, with the remainder allocated to Sanchez-Guzman.
2019 allegations
On January 23, 2019, Alex French and Maximillian Potter published an investigative report in ''The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' in which four more men alleged that Singer sexually assaulted them when they were underage
In law, a minor is someone under a certain age, usually the age of majority, which demarcates an underage individual from legal adulthood. The age of majority depends upon jurisdiction and application, but it is commonly 18. ''Minor'' may also ...
. The article also claimed that Sanchez-Guzman's 2017 lawsuit was stalled when Singer's legal team reported Sanchez-Guzman to the Internal Revenue Service and to US immigration officials, although this was disputed by one of Singer's lawyers. In response to the men's allegations, Singer denied any association with them and described the journalists as "homophobic
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...
".
In the wake of the renewed allegations, GLAAD withdrew ''Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack o ...
''s nomination for the year's GLAAD Media Award
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their liv ...
in the Outstanding Film – Wide Release category and stated, "Singer's response to ''The Atlantic'' story wrongfully used 'homophobia' to deflect from sexual assault allegations". Time's Up released a statement on Twitter applauding the decision, stating, "The recent allegations regarding Bryan Singer's behavior are horrifying and MUST be taken seriously and investigated." On February 6, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
removed Singer's name from ''Bohemian Rhapsody''s nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best British Film
The BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts presented at the British Academy Film Awards. The award was first given at the 1st British Academy Film Awards, first recognising the ...
due to the allegations against him.
On February 11, Millennium Films stated that ''Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
'', a film that Singer had been attached to direct, was no longer on their slate of films, although the company's founder Avi Lerner
Avinoam Lerner ( he, אבי לרנר; born 13 October 1947) is an Israeli-American film producer, primarily of American action movies. Lerner is the founder and CEO of Millennium Films.
Life and career
Avi Lerner was born in Haifa, Israel), on ...
had earlier defended hiring Singer despite the allegations.
Filmography
Film
Television
Web series
Recurring collaborators
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singer, Bryan
1965 births
Living people
Film producers from New York (state)
Jewish American screenwriters
American television directors
Television producers from New York City
BAFTA winners (people)
Bisexual men
Film directors from New York City
Science fiction fans
Science fiction film directors
LGBT Jews
American LGBT writers
People from West Windsor, New Jersey
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South alumni
USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni
School of Visual Arts alumni
American adoptees
Bisexual writers
LGBT people from New Jersey
Fantasy film directors
American male screenwriters
Writers from New York City
Screenwriters from New Jersey
LGBT screenwriters
Screenwriters from New York (state)
Film directors from New Jersey
Film producers from New Jersey
LGBT television directors
21st-century American Jews
21st-century LGBT people
Television producers from New Jersey
LGBT film directors